Fallen Feathers
by Vampirette Knight
Summary: There was no way I was going to let anyone take Sasuke away from me. Angel or not, he was mine. And I'd be damned if anything happened to him.
1. The Discovery

**This is just a new story idea I had. Hope you like it :)**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto. **

**Word Count- 4,781**

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Fallen Feathers

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.::Chapter 1 - The Discovery::.

_When I first saw you I already knew_

_There was something inside of you_

_Something I thought that I would never find_

_Angel of mine_

* * *

It's a shame how everyone thinks the magical world is a happy place. I can tell you from experience that it is not. In fact, it is perhaps a more miserable place than our world – the human world. With great power comes more criminals. Bigger crimes. I didn't think I was special or anything, being that I was the only person in the entire (non magical) world that could travel both worlds…well maybe I did. But you would too, I promise. Despite the story books and Disney movies based on the magical world, it wasn't an enchanted forest nor was it a land with large castles where people lived in cottages with princes and princesses. There were no unicorns or pixies, no dwarfs or fairies. But there were angels. Figuratively of course.

They were actually called _Angelus Mortis _or 'Angel of Death' in our language. In the magical world 'angels' weren't looked up to as caring people who helped lives. On the contrary, they were frowned upon. Most of them were held captive, their wings clipped. They were an abomination of nature and even in the magical world – unaccepted. Some angels were privileged. Some angels were assigned to a human. Those angels had life easy – unless of course their human was evil. I've been around the magical world and I've seen horrible things. I've seen prisons where angels lay in their cells, backs bleeding and their wings laying on the floor in front of them. I've seen them be whipped and their wings ripped from them. I cried for these angels. I couldn't save all of them but I wanted to. Even other people saw this as cruel and mean, but everyone accepted it just as our world had accepted slavery.

The most important and prevalent reason why an angel's wings would get ripped off would have to be for their healing power. Every feather on an angel's wing had the power to heal someone on the brink of death. Depending on the color of the wing – as most people didn't know – the feather could either be poisonous or a cure. Most people were ignorant to this fact, and just heard the vague rumor about the healing part. No one shared the horrors of the poison because well, no one lived if they picked the wrong feather.

Most _Angelus Mortis_ had black wings, suitable for their name. (1.)

But angels weren't the only magical creature around. Just the most common.

Humans existed in the magical world, each born with some sort of special power. They didn't know about my world, the regular world.

Only The _Potentes_ knew about my world. The _Potentes_ were the powerful elite of the magical world. The men in charge, if you will. They consisted of five men, all too old to be living, and could be kind when they wanted to, but were mostly selfish. They valued morals and ethics and things of the such but their views were twisted. They actually thought it was ethical for this entire 'angel killing' to be going around.

But that's enough about them; I don't like them very much. Even if they were kind to me. They were only interested because they were curious to know why someone born in the normal world was able to freely travel to theirs. (Boy did it take a while for them to actually accept me though)

The first time I came here I was seven and I was so scared. I had no idea what I had done. And I had no control over it. I was so scared that I'd never see my mommy or daddy again that I broke into sobs. That's when _he _came.

He of course, being my angel. Figuratively and literally. He was six then, a year younger than me. But he was always gorgeous. He was an orphaned angel, his previous owner disposing of him upon learning that his feathers were poisonous. Well…that's what he thought at least. He had come home to find my beautiful angel crying on the floor with his owner's son a bloodied mess next to him. His owner thought it was Sasuke's entire fault…and threw him out of the house. Not too long after that he found me crying and insisted on helping me.

"Call me Sasuke." He had said. I wondered how he could be so strong. I smiled as he reached down and took my hand.

"What's the problem? A pretty girl like you shouldn't be crying." He was dirty back then. Dirty and homeless. I remember. He had cuts and bruises adorning his perfect pale skin and he was so skinny.

But still so breathtakingly beautiful. He had taken me to The Potentes and we worked everything out. They hated me and were envious, that much I knew. But they sent me back home and I didn't see them or Sasuke again until I was 12.

I thought it was all just a dream at first. But then I looked in the mirror at my hair and gently placed in it was a feather attached to a note.

_If you're ever hurt, place this close to the wound and wait five seconds. I promise you the pain will go away._

_-Sasuke_

I still have the feather to this day. I think I'm just too scared to use it.

After that I tried so hard to remember that place. I laughed at other girls when they talked about fairytales. They didn't like me for it but I didn't care. My soul was with Sasuke. Of course back then I didn't love him. I just knew that he was my life, the most important thing to me and I kept telling myself for years that he was real. I tried to bring myself back there but I didn't know how. I still don't really know how I do it, but I'm more in control of my 'power' now.

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_I will never let you fall_

_I'll stand up with you forever_

_I'll be there for you through it all_

_Even if saving you sends me to heaven_

* * *

When I was 12 I met up with Sasuke and was surprised he remembered me.

"Sakura-hime." He had said. I smiled and ran up to him and embraced him and he smelled even better than I remembered. I had kissed his cheek and I will never forget the tint of pink that was splashed across his cheek.

"I'm sorry it took so long for me to come back, Sasuke-kun."

He merely shook his head. "Don't ever apologize to me. I am your angel, Hime. I live for you." He bowed respectfully and I got annoyed.

"Don't bow to me. It's not like I'm the queen or something. I'm just Sakura. And I don't care if you are my angel as long as you get to be my friend then I'm happy." He smiled at my words and nodded,

"As you wish."

I wish I knew back then that it wasn't so simple and that we couldn't be friends. We weren't allowed to grow attached.

But we did.

Sasuke was never one for psychical contact, I knew that much. Even still, he would always go out of his comfort zone for me. He knew I loved to hug him as a child and he would let me. A part of my mind thought that he had to let me, because I was his human and he had to obey me. I pushed that unwanted thought aside and told myself it was because he cared for me. I visited him as much as I could. My parents were always busy so it wasn't like they kept track of me. Sometimes though, my visits were unwanted. Sometimes Sasuke would be in such a bad mood…he would never tell me why.

"Don't worry about it." He would say. But I couldn't help myself. I knew he was only trying to prevent attachment but it was too late – for me anyway.

He was quite the complex creature; I never stopped learning things from or about him. Even now, as I sit here with him on the bed I wish I knew what was running through his mind.

"Sasuke." My voice comes out in a whisper. The suffix had been dropped, per his request.

"_Ne, Sasuke-kun." I called, my thirteen year old body dying to do something. Go out…do something, anything_.

"_Sakura-hime, please do not call me that. I am not on the same level as you. You are above me." _

_I was frustrated by his words, why couldn't we be on the same level?_

"_But, you're my best friend! I'll stop calling you Sasuke-kun when you stop calling me Sakura-hime." I crossed my arms stubbornly but on the inside I knew I wouldn't refuse his request._

"_You know I can't do that." He sighed heavily._

His gaze flickered towards mine and you'd think that after knowing him so long, being with him for so long, that the butterflies in my stomach would have long died but alas, here they were fluttering their wings happily.

I pressed my face into his chest and took in his scent. He smelled like Vanilla…

"Hime…" his hands came to the back of my head and I found that I rather liked when he ran his fingers through my hair.

"You acted so foolish back there. Surely you knew that it was dangerous to pull a move like that." I was referring to the battle him and a centaur had gotten into earlier. He had mocked it, lost control of the emotions he tried so desperately to hide.

"He insulted you." His voice was deep now, so different from the one I remembered from our childhood.

"You know I don't care about that. People are going to insult me all the time because of who I am. Not to mention my weird hair." I pressed my ear to his heartbeat and listened.

"I'm sorry, Hime." I could feel the guilt in his eyes. My fingers brushed across his cheek and I smiled.

"Don't be sorry. I know you just wanted to protect me. But I am seventeen now Sasuke. I'm…not a little girl anymore."

He nodded once and whispered, "I know." Sasuke's wings were folded carefully underneath him with the tips poking out. I played with one of the feathers with my hand, making sure to be gentle. Ripping feathers off was painful. It was like someone taking a handful of your hair and pulling until it came out. I thought back and wondered why Sasuke gave me his feather if it had hurt him so bad to do so. I loved him more than anything in the world, and I cursed myself for it. I knew I wasn't supposed to fall in love with him; he could never love me back even if he wanted to. It was against the rules. Of course that didn't mean it never happened but when it did…nasty things happened. Angels were burned alive in front of their lovers for that sort of thing. I would never risk that with Sasuke.

Part of me knew that he knew how much I loved him. He knew that I wanted to be with him.

I stared at his face. His eyes were closed and for once he looked peaceful. His lips, so tempting. I tried to grasp what it was like to have his soft lips pressed against mine, tried to remember exactly how it had felt.

"_Sasuke, I … I think I have a crush on you!" I was fifteen and so naïve. Sasuke had blushed._

"_Hime, I cannot return your feelings." Something flickered in his eyes but I couldn't tell what it was. I grew frustrated. If he would only know what it was like to be with me…maybe he would realize that we could be together! No one had to know._

"_Kiss me Sasuke." My eyes were serious and my heart was beating right out of my chest. He looked bewildered. As if he didn't know how to react to that. I knew he was having internal conflict. He had to obey me yet he wasn't allowed to love me._

"_Sakura-hime…" his voice was sad. But I was selfish._

"_Sasuke I told you to kiss me!" he seemed so upset and I didn't care. I just wanted him to kiss me. (selfishselfishselfish)_

_Sasuke sighed heavily and leaned down, pressing his lips to mine softly. It was my first kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he tensed slightly. My lips moved subtly against his and I held the kiss until the need for air overtook me. When I looked at him, thinking I would see a happy smiling Sasuke, I saw him frown. He wouldn't meet my gaze. And then I had realized how selfishly I acted. I brought my hands to my face in horror. _

"_Sasuke…I'm sorry. So sorry." And I ran away. _

I didn't come back for six months after that. Considering I usually tried to come at least twice a week that was a long time to be away from Sasuke. I remember how lonely those months were.

His eyes opened and he was staring at me intently. I wanted to apologize to him again because I felt so bad for putting him through something like that. I hid my face from his so he wouldn't see my eyes watering.

"What's wrong?" he asked. He never missed anything did he?

"I'm selfish…" I whispered. I didn't want to burden him with my problems but I couldn't help it.

"Selfish?" he raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"I always make you do things you don't want to do." I'm trying to be as vague as possible. I don't want him to know the particular instance that I'm talking about.

"It's my job to do whatever you tell me to do," he snorted quietly. "It's not like you make me scrub the floors or anything…"

I frowned because I knew a lot of angels had it bad. Worse than that even. A lot of angels would be glad to scrub floors.

"You treat me better than most angels are treated, and I am so thankful for that."

I snaked my arms around his waist and allowed myself to get lost in him.

"Don't ever leave me Sasuke, not ever."

My face was buried in his chest and I didn't see his reaction. All I heard was a quiet and reluctant, "I won't."

There was a long silence and I was comfortable with it. Just as I was about to doze off I heard Sasuke ask,

"How's your boyfriend?"

I lifted my head from his chest and cupped his cheek softly. "He cheated on me."

Those words hung in the air and I felt Sasuke's jaw clench underneath my touch. "It's alright Sasuke. I didn't like him too much anyway…" After all, I was only dating him to fill the void that I wished Sasuke could fill. No one could compare to Sasuke, not ever. I don't think I will ever find happiness unless it's with him – something I know will never and can never happen.

"One day you will meet someone who treats you well. Someone who loves you for you and wouldn't do anything to hurt you."

I stared deeply into his eyes and before I knew what I was saying I whispered, "I think I already met him." Sasuke looked away. I knew this was a tough subject for him. I got off his chest and walked over towards my purse.

"I'm sorry." I walked towards the door to his house and froze when I heard his voice.

"Why do you always do that?" His voice didn't falter, it never did. It was strong and confident.

I turned to look at him. "Do what?" of course I knew exactly what he was talking about. Occasionally, I cursed his perception. Sometimes it was really annoying. Other times it was flattering. Like if he noticed that I did my hair differently or something.

"Whenever you say something that you think will hurt me you get up, say you're sorry and you leave. Why do you do that?" his face was emotionless but I knew there was something hidden behind that carefully placed façade, something I couldn't reach.

"I get guilty. I don't like being guilty. I always speak without thinking." I met his gaze courageously. His eyes held mine and it seemed as though he wanted and wished he could give into the desires and just be with me. The rational side of his brain told him otherwise. I hated that side.

"I haven't seen you in a month. Please don't go so soon." Sasuke was lonely. He didn't have anybody while I was gone and he wasn't one to make friends. I thought it was rather unfair. I had family and friends in the other world to keep me company (although they could never provide the happiness that Sasuke gave to me) and yet Sasuke had no one. No family or friends… no one to talk to. All alone. My heart clenched and I suddenly wished I could be _his _someone. Be the person to make him as happy as he made me. I dropped my purse and headed back to the bed. He sat up and pated the bed next to him and I sat down. He gave me a nervous smile, his bangs covering half his eyes. He was anxious but I didn't know why.

"Hime…" I was eager to know what was on his mind.

"Yeah?" I kept my hands on my lap refraining from stroking his silky hair.

"You're birthday was a couple weeks ago. I never got to wish you a happy birthday or any of that."

I had been so busy that entire week with family plans…friend plans. I had forgotten Sasuke altogether (Not really…I could never forget him, I just couldn't make time for him – a thought that saddened me.)

"It's alright, it's just a birthday." I shrugged it off. No biggie. Sasuke shook his head and chuckled. "You're seventeen and I'm still sixteen."

"Only for four more months!" I smiled brightly. Sasuke turned serious and so did I.

"To be honest I didn't quite know what to get you. But then I found the perfect thing. Close your eyes...please." I giggled lightly at his politeness and obeyed.

"You really didn't have to get me anything." I knew it was pointless to say that, he always got me something. Usually it was something expensive and I would have to yell at him for spending so much money on me. I really wanted to know how he always had so much cash. Well it wasn't called cash here. Here it was _pecunia_. But old habits die hard, I still call it cash. I felt something cool against my collerbone and Sasuke's breath fanned out across the back of my neck.

"Okay, open your eyes." He remained behind me, studying my expression carefully.

I gasped at what I saw. It was a silver necklace with my name in kanji and angel wings on either side of my name. (2.) It was beautiful.

I wanted to jump into his arms and kiss him senseless, but I knew I couldn't. That would've been foolish. So I settle for looking at him with the brightest smile I could ever give him and hugging him gently.

"Thank you, _thank you!" _I hugged him close and dared to press a quick kiss to his cheek, which he seemed to not mind. His face was happy and warm. For some reason he _liked _when I was happy. The weirdo. The bright smile was still plastered to my face even hours later and he would just glance over at me, smile briefly and shake his head. If I didn't know better I would have sworn I saw a small blush gracing his features.

I lay back down on the bed, and gazed at the ceiling. "I wish I could stay here forever!" I let my arms spread out across the bed and I breathed in contently. I felt the bed shift over as Sasuke lay down with me whispering,

"You always say that." He seemed to have a smirk gracing his features, I just knew it. Alas, when I looked over at him there it was. I smiled.

"Well then it must be true!" I exclaimed happily. Yes I know. I have killer mood swings. Poor Sasuke has to deal with them all the time, but he doesn't complain; not that he ever would anyway. Sometimes I wish to know what he's honestly thinking, without him worrying about rules or what he is or isn't allowed to say to me.

Sasuke sat at the edge of the bed and stared off into a distance. What was going on in that head of his? Would he even tell me the truth if I asked? His wings were pressed against his body and I stroked them gently. He closed his eyes. He once told me apparently it felt like a really good massage when I did that.

Sasuke was my angel. I'll be damned if anything could ever separate him from me. Most of the rules were vague to me. It seemed as if Sasuke didn't want to tell me them…he probably knew I wouldn't approve of 90% of them. It sat on his bookshelf. The rule book. Every angel got one and it was up to them whether or not to show it to their owner. Sasuke opted for me to not see it. I knew it wasn't because he was trying to be sneaky like most angels, who wanted to hide the truth, but because he didn't want me to see some of the vile and cruel things people were allowed to do if an angel disobeyed them. I bet if I asked long enough, he'd give up. But I wouldn't do that to him. I would respect his decision, I mean…that's the only thing in his life that he actually has a say in. Why take that away?

I sat up, curling my knees up and resting my chin on them. Sometimes I wished I could hug him more. He wasn't the touchy feely kind of angel and he already went far out of his comfort zone for me and I didn't want to push him too far. I wanted him to like me. Love me even…maybe.

"I have to leave soon." Those dreaded words that neither of us wanted to hear.

Sasuke's head bent down and his voice got low. "I know." I felt horrible, I really did.

I smiled at him. "Next week my parents are going away on a business trip. I can stay overnight with you." His frown instantly turned into a smile. He loved when I slept over. I did too. I guess it felt good for him to not go to sleep alone for once. I was just glad I wasn't a sleep talker or I might be embarrassed.

I sat up on my knees and leaned towards him. "I can stay all week if you'd like." He turned to look at me.

"Hime, I wish you could. But you can't miss school for me."

I giggled. "Break."

He smiled softly and took my hand. "Then yes, I'd like you to stay all week."

"Oh boy, slumber party. Can I do your makeup and nails?" I giggled softly. He rolled his eyes. He would so let me.

"So what can we do for the hour I have left?" I glanced at my cell phone. Too bad I didn't have like…inter-world service.

"We can sleep." Sasuke turned around and pulled me down onto the bed with him causing me to make a small 'oof' noise. I rolled my eyes and pressed my forehead to his lightly, tracing his lips with my index finger. He looked away after a few moments and closed his eyes.

"Sleeping is so boring, silly!" I teased lightly. He gave a soft grunt in reply.

He looked so kissable right now. I pursed my lips trying to fight off the urge. My head rest on his chest and he wrapped his arms around me. It felt like he loved me…it seemed like it…

"What are you thinking?" I asked.

He didn't reply. He seemed to be thinking of how to word what he was going to say.

"I'm wondering that if I were a human…if I could be with you."

I was silent. My body went numb and time froze. I shut my eyes tightly to avoid tears from spilling. I tightened my grip on the hand that I was holding and I brought his hand to my lips, kissing it softly.

"I love you Sasuke…"

I was in love with this perfect creature…I couldn't help it. There was nothing I could do about it. Nothing at all. His fingers entwined in my hair and his voice was quiet.

"Please don't, hime." I looked up at him and smiled softly, cupping his cheek.

"Don't worry…I won't let them hurt you." His face was pained. I knew he didn't want me to be upset. I couldn't help it though. It just hurt…so bad. He was the only person I ever loved. The only person I ever will love. He nodded slightly.

"I know you won't hime. I trust you."

I beamed a smile at him and pulled away. "I gotta go now." He nodded and reluctantly let me go.

"When will you be here again?" I frowned. I was really busy this week. Grabbing my purse I stopped and thought. Monday..no. Tuesday. Well maybe I can squeeze a couple hours in Wednesday. Yeah.

"In three days." I told him firmly. "And then after that, we get to have our slumber party!" Oh, how exciting.

"Three days is too long." Man was he blunt. I rolled my eyes and ruffled his hair.

"Don't worry silly. If I can come sooner I will, but don't get your hopes up." My arms opened and he stood hugging me gently. I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed softly and then I pulled away. I smiled and tilted my head and my body began to vanish from his sight. I waved and I watched as he looked at me sadly.

"Don't be so sad Sasucakes!" I saw him roll his eyes before I reappeared in my room.

I loved calling him Sasucakes. He hated it and it was hilarious. I stretched and changed into my pajamas and plopped into bed. Man, was it going to be a long three days.

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Sneak Peak at Chapter 2 - World's Away!!

"It's…very hard…to restrain myself. Especially when I know you feel the same way…" his voice was hush. Barely above a whisper. I don't know how we got onto this topic but this was something we've never talked about before.

"Coulda fooled me…" My lips were centimeters above his own. My mind screamed at me to kiss him. Just kiss him and get it over with. Was that his lips nearing mine? Was I just imagining?

The room was spinning. I shut my eyes tightly and felt his smooth lips against my own. We were in deep shit now. But there was no turning back. He was kissing me and I was kissing him. His arm pulled me against him closely and his tongue explored my mouth. It was far too hot and I was wearing far too many clothes.

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**A/N- Just wondering if anyone thinks they're going to canon NaruxSaku or not. RxR Please :)**

**(1 – Most if not all of the names I used are Latin. Angel of death, the Elders name, the money. All Latin. I'd like to think of their society somewhat similar to the ancient Romans. They take pride in art and literature and have gothic style churches and such. By the way, we will get to religion in later chapters.**

**(2 – A link of the necklace that Sasuke gave Sakura (but it's supposed to say Sakura. Obviously I couldn't find one that already said Sakura lol. And just pretend it's silver in the picture xD .. just take out the spaces) http ://s192. photobucket. com/albums/z100/xteenuh102593/?action=view¤t=**


	2. World's Away

**Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto.**

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Fallen Feathers

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.::Chapter Two – World's Away::.

_We bend before we break,_

_Across the world with you._

_The lov__e you never found,_

_Was right here all along,_

_Waiting here for you._

* * *

The clock wouldn't tick fast enough, I ventured to conclude. It wouldn't fly by – the time that is – because I certainly wasn't having any fun. Staring at the clock for a few hours may seem boring but in reality it's quite entertaining. No really. Hell, who am I trying to kid? I think I'd rather watch grass grow. At least you'd get to watch the bugs (ew) crawling then… Now I'm just going insane. It's not even like there's anyone else here though. It's just me in this big empty house. My parents are almost always working. But I don't complain because at least my parents are still together. Most people these days have divorced parents and I'm pretty lucky that both mine are under the same roof.

I find it rather annoying that every time I start thinking for a while, my thoughts wander to Sasuke and what I would be doing if I were with him now. He was just the perfect person…and he deserved so much more than what he was getting. I thought about bringing him here…but I don't know if Angels would even be able to breathe on earth. What if the air pressure was different or something weird like that?

Of course, leave it to me to think of something like that rather than thinking about Sasuke's wings playing a major part in him not being able to come. Yeah I could picture that.

'Hey mom,' I'd say. 'I brought home a friend of mine today. His name is Sasuke. Yes, you may or may not notice but Sasuke has large wings attached to his back. No don't pull them, they're real. Yes he was born with them. You see Sasuke is an angel, mom.'

Yeah that would go over so well. Even more so if my father found out I was secretly traveling to an alternate universe in order to see said angel. The whole prospect was quite comical. I do suppose I could try to _hide _Sasuke if I were to bring him here. Sneak extra food up here. He is bound to eventually be discovered.

I should really think about setting up that inter-world phone connection. It would do me loads of good. Then I could call him, although, seeing as how he looks at my phone like a math problem, I'm not sure if he'd be able to use it properly.

It was Tuesday. I wanted to go see him so bad. And I could too…but something didn't feel right. I had a feeling my mom was going to come home early or something. She isn't supposed to be home until 11 and my dad at 8. It's only 3:00. I just got back from school…perhaps I should call my mother…

I took out my cell phone and dialed.

"Hello." My mother always sounded weird on the phone.

"Mom, hey can I go to the library for a bit?" I asked innocently.

"Of course sweetie, just make sure you're home by the time your father gets home."

"Thank you mom. Love you." Of course sugarcoat it.

"You too sweetie, bye."

Click.

For some reason, I felt the need to do my hair. I put a little eye liner on, knowing Sasuke doesn't like when I wear a lot of makeup. I applied some (kickass smelling) chap stick and changed into my pajama pants. So comfy. Although it kinda made me look like a bum. Oh well.

Instantly I felt the world around me become blurry and not even a moment later I was in Sasuke's bedroom. I snickered in realization that Sasuke was in the shower. My heart raced and I felt so alive. Just from being in the mere presence of him. This really was pathetic. I plopped down on his mattress and waited patiently for him to come out, secretly wishing he'd come out in his towel.

Lo and behold! Life wasn't _always _so terrible after all.

He came out a few minutes later, toweling off his hair with another towel wrapped neatly around his waist. His muscles were glistening. I had to remind myself not to drool. God, he was an angel. No pun intended. He was _my _angel and I was loving every second of this.

He seemed to notice my presence and I noticed a slint tinge of pink splash across his cheeks as he gave a slight jump.

"Sakura-hime…" he said my name in a somewhat embarrassed manner, fully aware of his semi nakedness. It wasn't like it was the first time I've seen his bare chest. [insert squealing here]

"Sasucakes." I tried to mock his deep voice, stating his name in a rather matter-of-factly tone.

A small smile adorned his features and my eyes traveled down to his chest.

"Don't you look dashing." I giggled at his flushed features. His head turned down and he mumbled something but I didn't hear what it was. "You look oh so happy to see me." I grinned, teasing him affectionately. Without a word, he walked over to his dresser pulling out clothes. He went back into the bathroom to change and was out in a minute.

"I think I liked you better when you were shirtless." I said boldly. Sasuke just rolled his eyes and gathered me in his arms, hugging me gently.

"I missed you."

"It's only been two days!" I giggled as his hair tickled my cheeks. It didn't seem as though he was going to let go of me any time soon so I adjusted in his arms and pulled him on the bed with me.

"It seemed like forever." My fingers – on their own accord – wound themselves into Sasuke's damp locks, stroking them gently. So soft.

"Silly boy." I cooed. I knew it was worse for him when I was away then it was for me. Sasuke didn't have anyone. He was alone. To top it off, the bond that an angel shares with his owner is strong. Even if the owner treats the angel horribly…angels were still forced have this…this…unexplainable _bond _with the owner. It wasn't easy to explain. It wasn't like having a brother or a best friend or a lover. It was something else entirely. Something so hard to explain.

That's another reason why I hated most people here. They took advantage of that bond, knowing their angel would never try to rebel or run away. Knowing their angel would take all the pain they had inflicted upon themselves. It was horrible. They knew…they damn well knew.

I gripped Sasuke tighter subconsciously. I didn't want any angel to have to go through that. I knew I wasn't enough to save them all. I knew I couldn't save them all. So I would just have to make Sasuke the happiest angel…I had to.

Being born into such a fate…and not being able to do anything about it. They couldn't speak up or defend themselves. They couldn't do anything.

"Sasuke-kun…" I whispered it softly so that he wouldn't hear. If he did, he didn't show any signs of it. Even if I wasn't allowed to call him that, he would always be my Sasuke-kun. It felt like a complete role reversal. I was the one that had to save him from this harsh life. I was the one who had to whisk him away from all of his worries…quell his sadness. I wanted to show Sasuke love. I wanted him to know that the world wasn't necessarily all bad. Some good people were still in it. That live could be worth living.

After a few moments of me thinking, Sasuke's grip around my waist loosened and he looked up at me softly.

He was never one to open up or share his emotions, but I could always tell what he was feeling by looking into his eyes. Those scared, child-like eyes. Ignorant and unknowing of the evils that could come to him. And I would be his mother-like figure that would guide him through this. But I didn't want that.

I wanted him to love me. Be in love with me. I wanted tender kisses and gentle touches and soft whispers. But the worst thing – in my opinion – was knowing that Sasuke wanted that too. That if under different circumstances, he would give me that.

I laughed lightly at the absurdity of it all and Sasuke looked at me questioningly. I cupped his cheeks and gave him a small, fond smile.

"You're so cute, you know that?"

He blinked innocently, even further proving my theory. Briefly I allowed my eyelids to flutter shut and I soon felt his weight lift off of me.

"I haven't listened to you play in a while." He murmured softly. Opening one eye. I noticed his gaze settled intently on mine. Propping myself up on my elbows I smiled softly.

"Is that your way of asking me to play for you?" I grinned smugly. He stood, his back facing me.

"Of course." And he took my arm, leading me to the piano.

Personally, I didn't find anything prestigious about playing the piano. I was just one of those kids who had to take piano lessons as a kid. I never particularly liked playing, but Sasuke found it rather enjoyable. I sat on the bench and he took a seat to the right of me. My fingers grazed over the ivory keys and I glanced at him. "What do you want to hear?"

I already knew the answer before he spoke it. "My song." Was his quiet reply. And so I began to play, and I noticed then and there that his song had a melancholy aura about it. (1) I wondered if that was coincidence or if he simply knew that his life was dreary. He once told me that I was the only thing keeping him going. He told me that _I _was _his _angel. Oh how he had it all wrong.

I hummed lightly as I played, my eyes shut. I could still feel his dark orbs on my face though. His gaze tended to be piercing, although I'm sure he never intended it to be.

Graceful he had called me. The words 'graceful' and 'me' never should be put into a sentence together unless some derogatory word such as 'not' is also in the mix.

But that's what he seemed to think. So I just went with it. Going into the bridge, I found I was a little rusty. I kept up with the timing though, feeling as his head rest against my shoulder in contentment.

The speed of the lullaby picked up its pace and my fingers danced across the keys rather frantically. I didn't make up the song for Sasuke, but it was his favorite that I ever played for him so unspokenly, it was deemed to be his song.

The song built up, only to slow down once more. And finally, the ending held so much power and compassion and utter desperate feeling to end rather abruptly in my opinion. The silence was comfortable. We sat there for some time, unmoving.

I didn't want to be the bearer of bad news but it was getting late. "I can't stay long tonight." My voice was soft.

"I know." He said in contempt.

"One day…I want to come here forever."

He lifted his head and looked at me almost angrily.

"You know I can't let you do that."

My eyes saddened at the thought of rejection. "I want to be with you every day." I took his hand. Great, now he was angry at me.

"Sakura, you have a life there. You have family and friends. I can't let you throw that away for me." He must be really frustrated. He didn't even add the '_–hime_ 'at the end of my name. Something I could tell he regretted instantly as his lips formed the forgotten suffix silently in apology.

But I was going to stand my ground.

"Sasuke you can't tell me what to do. I would throw away everything for you." My voice was hush. I knew he didn't want to hear my words, but even if I didn't say them, it didn't make them any less true.

He furrowed his eyebrows and stood up in a very aggravated manner.

"Don't you understand?" he seemed to know something I didn't.

"Obviously, I don't." I spat out rather harshly. My arms crossed and I glared at him. As sick as this sounds, Sasuke looks really hot when he's angry about something. Just saying.

"You can't be _with _me. Not now, not ever." Irate as he was, I wasn't intimidated by him. Somehow, in the back of my mind I couldn't be afraid of him. I knew he would never hurt me.

"You think I don't know that? That _wasn't _what I had meant Sasuke. I just want to be by your side. Spend time with you. You're the most precious person to me."

"We," he gestured between the two of us, "should never have even met. You're a human, you don't belong here. You'll just get hurt. I don't think you realize how fragile you are in this world."

Did he know how much his words were stabbing me in the chest? In my mind, I believed I was strong enough to not cry and seem even weaker but my heart said otherwise.

"So that's it then? Do you regret meeting me then?" I stood too, regretting ever coming. I should've just waited.

He sighed, clearly frustrated. "That _wasn't_ what I had meant." He said, mimicking my earlier words.

"Well then what do you mean?!" I must've been PMSing. Was I due for my period? Even I knew how irrationally I was acting. But he was just being so difficult.

"I mean that you can't live with me. You can never live with me. It won't work." By standing up, I had hoped to be more intimidating, but that didn't work too well when I was about 5 inches shorter than him.

"Glad to know you care." I bit out.

His expression became cross. "You know I do…"

I laughed humorously. "Do I?"

That one seemed to hit him hard, I could just tell by the look on his face.

"Do me a favor, will ya? Stop being so damn difficult all the time. You love me one second and then when I tell you I want to be with you, that I want to throw away everything for you…you just…" I couldn't even formulate words to describe how he was being.

"Sakura-hime…you are _my _most precious person…"

Before I even said my next words I wanted to take them back.

"Yeah well it's not like you have anyone else to chose from." I walked towards my purse that I had placed on the bed upon my arrival and grabbed it.

"Don't expect me to come tomorrow by the way." And before he could even have a chance to reply, I was already vanishing from his sight. I hope he wouldn't do anything stupid.

In my room, it was only 7:30 when I got back. I went to bed early, not even hungry for dinner.

* * *

_Waste all your time with me._

_I know I'm a mess right now,_

_but don't give up and leave._

_I'd wait it out for you.  
_

* * *

Over the next few days, I contemplated visiting Sasuke but being the coward that I was, I decided against it. My mother noticed my poignant behavior and inquired me about it.

"I got in a fight with one of my friends." I had told her.

"Who was it sweetie?" her face was concerned.

"You don't know him…"

"Well he must be very important to you. To have this sort of effect on you like this…" her voice was laced with concern.

"Yeah…" I began slowly.

"Do you have a crush on him?!" she gushed. Man, she was thirty five and still a gossip. My mother.

I rolled my eyes. "It's not like that…" _Although I wish it were. _I added mentally.

"Sure it's not. So what's his name?" she never knew when to give up, did she?

"Sasuke, mom."

She looked at me, pressing for more information. I suppose it couldn't hurt if I mentioned anything.

"He has black hair and eyes, he's pale and slim but has an athletic build. He's really sweet but sometimes difficult to talk to…" I looked down and frowned slightly. "He's very…innocent. It's cute." I finished awkwardly. This seemed to please my mother.

"Oh that's perfect Sakura! When can I meet him?"

I stood and rolled my eyes. "Yeah right mom." And I kissed her cheek and walked away, feeling slightly better.

Wednesday and Thursday passed by quite slowly. I decided that I would visit him afterall on Friday, and I hoped he wasn't still angry.

I didn't appear in his house like I usually did, but outside. I knocked on his door and waited patiently for him to open it.

_What if he doesn't open the door for me?_

My heart was pounding through my chest as I heard footsteps and then a soft 'click' as the door slowly opened.

He didn't look me in the eyes.

"Sasuke…I'm sorry. So very sorry." My fingers played with the hem of my shirt, fidgeting.

Not a word was spoken but he shuffled to the side to let me in, and the door closed silently behind me. I stared at him for a long while.

"Please say something…" it killed me to see him like this. It killed me even more that _I _was the one who did this to him.

"What do you want me to say?" I could hear how much it strained him to speak even these words. I dropped my purse and buried my face in his chest.

"Sasuke, I didn't mean it. I was just so upset…you said you didn't want me to be with you and I didn't know what I was saying and … I just …" I rambled on, my voice muffled by his shirt. He did not return my embrace but he placed his hand atop my head.

"I was only trying to think of your best interest…" he spoke softly.

"But why…why couldn't I live with you? We could be happy and have fun." I looked up at him with watery eyes. His thumb caught a stray tear that dared to slip down my cheek.

"I love you, hime." His mouth parted slightly.

I stroked his cheek gently. "I love you more…" I stood on my tippy toes and brought my face close to his. I felt his every breath fanning across my lips.

His eyes closed and he paused thoughtfully, most likely choosing his next words carefully.

"It's…very hard…to restrain myself. Especially when I know you feel the same way…" his voice was hush. Barely above a whisper. I don't know how we got onto this topic but this was something we've never talked about before.

"Coulda fooled me…" My lips were centimeters above his own. My mind screamed at me to kiss him. Just kiss him and get it over with. Was that his lips nearing mine? Was I just imagining?

The room was spinning. I shut my eyes tightly and felt his smooth lips against my own. We were in deep shit now. But there was no turning back. He was kissing me and I was kissing him. His arm pulled me against him closely and his tongue explored my mouth. It was far too hot and I was wearing far too many clothes.

He staggered forwards and I tumbled down onto his mattress, our lips never parting. So many years of denying myself this, so many days of restraining the urge to press my body flush against his and breathe in his scent all came out in this kiss. The passion was overwhelming and my head was spinning but that didn't stop me.

I had never kissed like this before and I'd wager to guess that neither had Sasuke. Our movements were slightly clumsy but it didn't matter. I opened my mouth and his tongue greeted mine. His hands trailed up my sides as my arms snaked around his neck, pulling him impossibly closer. Sasuke…Oh, Sasuke.

At this moment breathing was secondary to kissing. Only when I could not possibly hold the kiss any longer did we pull apart, much to my dismay. His lips didn't relinquish their claim on my skin though. They traveled down the side of my throat, and I craned my neck to get a better feel of him. The room was too hot; not hot enough.

I pulled on his ebony locks and gasped for breaths, my mind going blank.

Our lips locked once more in a fierce yet considerably shorter kiss than the last. When we parted I looked at him almost sorrowful. I had given in…betrayed his trust.

"I'm…sorry…" I whispered.

His eyes were pained. It seemed like he didn't want to think about that right now. And to just live in the moment with me, because we both know it'd be our only chance. We both knew that after today, this couldn't happen again. We couldn't risk it.

His lips brushed against mine. A second time. A third.

Soon we were kissing just as fervently as we had been before. His body pressed against mine, his scent, his kisses all became too much for me and once again, speaking without thinking, my mind blurted out,

"Make love to me Sasuke…" His face pulled away enough to gauge my reaction and he looked slightly puzzled, but more disapproving.

"Hime, we can't…" he stroked my hair somberly.

"Please Sasuke…don't you want to know what it's like? We'll never have a chance to again…!" I was desperate, my hands traveled under his shirt, feeling his taut muscles that I had so long to touch.

"It'll make things worse, not better…it'll make it harder." His voice was strained.

"Please Sasuke…" I pulled his shirt over his head. He rested his forehead on my collarbone and breathed evenly.

"Don't make me do this…" he pleaded.

"Sasuke, I'm not making you do anything. I _know _you want this just as much as I do."

I love you I love you I love you….Sasuke ….kun.

He pressed butterfly kisses to the junction of my neck. Carefully, his fingers traced my stomach, and he pulled my shirt over my head. Kissing me softly, just like I'd always dreamed, touching me gently and lovingly.

Suddenly, and too soon for my liking, he pulled away in realization. We stared at each other.

"Sakura-hime…I can't do this. Not when I know that I'll never be able to again." His bangs were hiding his face from me and I sat up to brush the hair from his face. When he looked at me, I saw him blush. I was only in my bra and shorts. I took his hand and entwined our fingers. Bringing our conjoined hands up to my face, I pressed a kiss to the inside of his wrist.

"I won't let them hurt you…" I assured him.

"I know you won't. I trust you, hime."

I smiled and looked up at him, silently wishing I could trust myself, and knowing I never could.

* * *

Sneak Peak at Chapter 3 – The Truth About Heaven

"Hime…?"

I had to listen carefully to hear his voice.

"What is it?" I was getting sleepy.

"I want to become a human."

My eyes widened in shock. "Don't say such blasphemous things, Sasuke!"

"What…?" he was confused.

"Do you even know how painful that is?! They'll rip your wings out if you say that too loud. Besides, you know that's just a myth. It's not really possible." I wasn't so sure about this, but I guessed there was something in The Rule Book about it.

He looked downwards. "You…wouldn't want me…? If I became a human?"

I shook my head at his convoluted way of thinking. "Of course I'd want you! I always want you. But I wouldn't want you to go through that pain for me, just as you wouldn't want me to throw away my life for you."

He looked away. "Promise me you won't do that to yourself, Sasuke." I demanded of him.

"…I promise…" he muttered reluctantly.

I didn't know if the look on his face was genuine or not and in all honesty, it scared me.

* * *

1) The song on the piano that Sakura is playing for Sasuke is Etude A-Moll Nr.2 by Strokerm.

**A/N- My birthday's coming up this month! And guess what, if you want to make me happy all you have to do is take a mere thirty seconds out of your day to review my story! If you think about it, it's the least you can do after I worked for hours to write the chapter :) **

**RxR Please! I kinda wanna get at least 15 reviews before I upload the next chapter...**


	3. The Truth About Heaven

**Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto. **

**Word Count- 15,712 (Wow, this is sufficiently longer, yay)**

* * *

Fallen Feathers

* * *

.::Chapter Three – The Truth About Heaven::.

_But that's not why I'm here,_

_I came down here to tell you it rains in heaven all day long,_

_I wanna find you so bad and let you know _

_I'm miserable up here without you, miserable up here without you_

* * *

I never really knew why I was given the powers I had, nor did I ever really question it. I never knew why I met Sasuke and I never knew how much irony hurts.

It was Monday and I stopped by quickly after school as usual. Appearing in his house, I called out his name softly.

"Sasuke?"

There was no response. I frowned slightly. Since when did he ever go out? My feet traveled to the living room in hopes of finding him.

I sat on the couch and stretched. It was a few moments before I heard the front door open in the other room. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. Nothing was better than seeing him. Nothing in the world. But my smile was suddenly erased from my face when I saw who was at the front door.

It was Sasuke.

But he wasn't alone. There was someone with him. Another _girl _was with him.

Reminding myself not to jump to any conclusions and to be happy that he's made a friend I smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry Sasuke, I didn't know you'd be busy."

Sasuke looked like an excited child who wanted to show their mother something they just made. He grabbed said girl's hand and brought her to me. "Sakura I'd like you to meet Karin. She's another angel like me." I held my hand out to shake hers – even though I didn't want to. But it didn't matter anyway because she didn't shake my hand back. I felt slightly awkward and as I looked into her eyes, I could see no friendly features.

"Um, I'm Sakura." I stated quietly. I didn't like how this was turning out.

Things were silent for a moment. "Maybe I should come back later Sasuke." My eyes were downcast.

He tilted his head. "How come?"

I could feel her piercing gaze burning through my forehead. "Uh, I think I caught you at a bad time. I'll come back in a little while." And I turned to get my other belongings. I heard Sasuke excuse himself from Karin to catch up to me.

"What's wrong?" he asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and smiled.

"Nothing. . . I just didn't want to be rude by staying." He didn't need to be burdened with my problems.

I grabbed my purse. "She's really nice…" I heard Sasuke mutter.

Forcing my best fake smile, I cupped Sasuke's cheek. "I'm glad you met someone else Sasuke." (_lieslieslies.)_ "She seems nice. You can tell me all about her tomorrow, alright?" Psh, I certainly did not want to hear anything about her. The things I do for love.

He leaned into my touch. "Alright." I dropped my hand and stepped away but before I could vanish he kissed my forehead and smiled softly at me. And that smile, the one I knew he reserved for me, was the only thing stopping me from beating the shit out of _Karin. _

The next morning I awoke with mixed feelings. It was Tuesday and I was off of school, making me excited to be able to spend an entire day with Sasuke. However, I was not looking forward to having him tell me all about Karin. I knew I was being selfish but I didn't care. I knew him first…I wanted to be his only person. I jinxed it the other day when we had our argument, I just know it. I got dressed in a plaid mini skirt (something I don't usually do) and a black band tee. Usually when I was with him I wore skinny jeans or sweats or pajama pants, but for some reason I wanted to stand out to him today. I wanted him to know how good I could look. I applied some eyeliner that made my green eyes pop out more than usual. My hands searched for my strawberry flavoured Chap Stick. Ah ha, there it is.

Here's a tip girls: most guys don't want lip gloss reminisce on their lips after kissing you. Chap Stick is good because it gives a subtle sheen and flavor without being gooey.

Not that I was planning on kissing Sasuke or anything, but one can never be too cautious (because it's always those times that you're wearing your pajamas and look a mess when your crush decides to pay you a visit).

Plugging in my flat iron, I scurried across my room to grab my _Victoria's Secret Juiced Berry _perfume. I sprayed all over and smiled, quite satisfied. I gave myself a once over and nodded approvingly. Straightened hair and an application of mascara later, I pulled on my black torn up converse (my life), grabbed my cell and itouch and promptly 'left'.

Sasuke's house was eerily quiet. I checked my watch. It was one thirty in the afternoon. He _should _be up.

"Hime." I spun around and smiled.

"There you are." I mentally giggled as his eyes widened, taking in my appearance.

"You look…" he was at a loss for words.

"I went out with my friends before I came over." I lied easily. "What, don't I look good?" Teasing him was always fun.

He rolled his eyes. "Good is an understatement. You look so different with makeup on." He tilted his head inspecting me. Thank Kami he was too innocent to see through my plan to try and look good for _him. _I walked towards him, still smiling.

"Is that a good thing?" He poked my nose lightly and brushed a piece of hair from my face.

"Of course."

Walking past him, I plopped on his bed without thought and stretched my limbs. I was mildly surprised when I felt him untying my shoes. I mentally slapped myself for wearing a mini skirt; now I couldn't stretch and move around freely.

An imaginary light bulb clicked above my head.

I grinned deviously and stretched some more, revealing my stomach to him. His hands tugged at my shirt, pulling it down once more, almost subconsciously. Without thinking, I sat up and stared at him rather blankly.

"So you were supposed to tell me about Karin." His eyes lit up at my remembrance of something important to him. Score one, Sakura. My eyes linked with his and I scooted over, giving him room to sit down. "How'd you meet her?"

For some strange reason, I didn't feel the jealousy I felt an hour ago. When I was with Sasuke, and when I saw how he looked at me, I almost knew better than to be jealous. But everything changed once I left his presence.

"I was just walking around actually. And she bumped into me. And we started talking. Crazy, right?"

"Indeed." I said somewhat sarcastically.

But he continued on without seeming to notice.

"And I dunno but something just clicked. And we connected really quickly. I dunno, hime…I think I may be starting to…like her."

Everything in my mind spun and then stopped to an abrupt halt. Wait, _what?! _Did he just say what I think he said?

Obviously said emotion (whatever emotion 'wait, _what?!' _is) was evident on my face because Sasuke's expression changed from happy to worried. I couldn't speak. Whatever happened to 'I love you, hime?'

"Look, we both know that whatever this," He motioned to the two of us, causing me to snap out of my daze, "is…it can't go on. I care about you, really I do. More than anybody. But we can't be together. And there's nothing either one of us can do about it."

Whatever happened to 'love prevails' or 'love holds no bounds' or a nice 'I don't care what we have to face because I have you and that's all that matters'? But no, this was reality. This wasn't a fairytale.

There were so many things I wanted to ask him. Like, 'but I thought you loved me.' does he know what the word 'love' even _means? _Obviously not.

Suddenly, I felt stupid for trying to look nice for him.

"So that's it then?" I didn't sound angry, I was actually pretty proud of myself for not jumping up and slapping him in the face for making me even think that there could've been something.

But those tender kisses…his words…did they mean nothing? I refused to meet his gaze, though I felt him shift uncomfortably at my words.

"What do you mean, that's it? It's not it. It's not like you can't ever talk to me again. Things will go on like they always have. We've been fine up until last time you visited and…we momentarily lost control. But that's bound to happen. I mean, we're teenagers. We have hormones…"

Whatever he was trying to say was just digging him deeper and deeper into a hole.

"But Sasuke, I _love _you. Do you even know what that means?" My breathing became uneven and I knew I was fighting back the tears. Was it all really coming to an end before it even had a chance to begin?

"We don't know what true love is. We're still young." He argued.

"Are you saying I'm lying?" I protested angrily.

He looked down. "Why are you making this harder for me?" he murmured.

So now this was _my _fault?

"I can make it really easy if you want. I don't ever have to come back." I spat.

It seemed as if he was restraining himself from lashing out at me because he knew he couldn't. After a long moment he sighed heavily, as if he had the weight of a thousand years on his shoulders.

"You know that's not what I want."

I knew I could be difficult sometimes. And I knew I could have ridiculous demands. But right here and now, I did not think I was being ridiculous. A little selfish, yes. But aren't all girls selfish when it comes to the love of their life?

Then suddenly it clicked into place for me. This wasn't about what I wanted. If I really loved him…could I really love him…_did _I really love him enough to… to let him go?

Hesitantly, my gaze lifted to his. I saw pain in his eyes. I didn't want that. But I wanted _him. _Oh Kami, so badly I wanted him. I swallowed and bit my lip.

"I'm sorry. I just…" My hands began to shake and my vision blurred with tears. I took a deep breath, two tears falling down my cheeks. I mentally slapped myself. God Sakura, rule number one: never cry in front of a guy when you have eyeliner on. It'll _smudge._

My hands wiped the tears away quickly.

"If this is really happening then I just want one thing and I'll be fine. I'll…move on. But you need to give me something first." I whispered, knowing how cliché I sounded and wondering if Sasuke caught on. But he seemed oblivious as usual. He tilted his head questioningly.

"Anything." Was his reply.

I knew how big of a request I had but I wasn't about to not ask it.

"Kiss me one last time."

He seemed to hesitate. As if even he knew that if he did kiss me one last time… that he wouldn't have the strength to move on, as if he really did love me more than he was letting on. Perhaps in hopes of sparing my feelings.

His hands cupped my cheeks. "You're so annoying." He mumbled, although I knew it was a term of endearment. My eyelids fluttered shut as I felt his breath fan across my lips before he finally closed the gap between us and kissed me tenderly. It was chaste and brief, much too brief. He pulled away with a cautious expression on his face, as if he didn't know what would happen next. And quite frankly, I didn't even know what would happen next.

I kept my eyes shut and felt his lips on mine once again. So soft and sweet. Once more… he placed two more brief but chaste butterfly kisses to my lips.

"I'm sorry." He said slowly. His voice disturbed the silence but it was not an unpleasant sound. I felt a melancholy feeling wash over me as my eyelids fluttered open.

In those few seconds I realized he did care. He was doing this for me, not him. He didn't want me to get hurt if we were together. In that kiss I realized that he was forcing _himself _to move on… for me. To protect me. Because that was what he was born to do.

I jumped up and wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my face against the contour of his collarbone. The moment was bittersweet. "You're acting like this is the last time we'll ever see each other." He tried to joke, but I could hear the real distress in his voice.

"It won't be." I assured him. I felt his body relax instantly and his arms become more natural in his embrace.

I pulled away from him, trying to hide my lonely feeling. Because I had to remind myself that he was doing this for me. "She better make you happy." My voice was hush as I brushed away his hair and cupped his cheek. "She better treat you like a God." I laughed lightly. For a brief moment pain flickered in his eyes. He didn't reply but simply placed his hand atop mine.

Then I suddenly thought to myself: There's no guarantee that she will like him back, right? Tch, stop kidding yourself…

I decided I'd better change the topic before things got awkward. I turned away from him, clasping my hands behind my back and looking upwards. "So," I turned my head to look at him and I smiled. "What do you wanna do today?"

In that moment I knew I had done something good because the smile that overtook his face was unlike any other. Like he was truly happy that I had accepted things. He seemed thankful as well. Probably that I understood. But it was all a lie. Because I simply didn't understand. I couldn't understand. How he could give whatever he had up for some stranger. For someone he met only a few weeks ago. I just didn't understand that. But I was done arguing with him for today. I didn't want to fight anymore.

He took my hand and pulled me to him. He tugged my arm lightly. I kept my gaze away from his eyes, not wanting to see him. "It doesn't matter what we do." I heard him murmur. "As long as I get to spend time with you."

My nose wrinkled in disgust. I did _not _want to hear those kinds of things right now. It wasn't helping. That comment made me want to shrug out of his embrace.

To pull away from him and just walk away and not care what happened with him or Karin. To find someone in my own freaking universe and love them. I gently took my hand from his and dropped it to my side.

"Actually, Sasuke. I think I should go." I was feeling so stupid for dressing up. I pulled at the hem of my skirt, trying to tug it down. He looked at me alarmed.

"Whatever for?"

He was such a child…

"I don't know. I'm going to feel weird now, honestly." I admitted. "If you do get with Karin…" I played with the hem of my skirt trying to avoid spatting her name. "Then I'm sure she would want to spend a substantial amount of time with you. And she probably wouldn't want you hanging out with another girl alone." So that was it now. I was the one that would have to leave.

He shook his head. "No trust me she likes you. She told me."

Psh, what a liar she was. I saw the glare she gave me. I shrugged my shoulders, turning back to look at him.

"I feel awkward now though." All throughout the time we've known each other it's been just us. No one else. And I liked it that way. Was I being selfish? Probably. Did I care? Only a little. Not enough to stop though. But I saw the slight anger and pain in his eyes, and decided to no longer pursue the subject.

I sighed. "Never mind Sasuke." I shook my head and turned to the door. He looked at me in confusion. "Well aren't we going somewhere?" I asked. He smiled and jogged to the door, closing it behind him.

He tried grasping my hand but I conveniently crossed my arms, not in the mood to hold his hand. We walked in the field of flowers that was in his backyard. He had such a beautiful place here. This world was so much better than Earth. It was pollution free. Except for _Atrum Locus . _But that was a forbidden place. That was where all of the 'bad' people went. But in my opinion, everyone that killed or enslaved _Angelus Mortis' _like Sasuke deserved to die themselves.

I sat down, plopping myself on the ground amidst the garden full of flowers. It was almost surreal to be here. Because Earth was so different than here. I lifted my knees, resting my chin on my kneecap. How would things change from here? I closed my eyes, not wanting to think about it. I felt Sasuke sit down next to me. Close. Too close now. He was taking my hand now. I didn't want this. He was holding it in both of his hands now. He brought it to his lips and kissed it, lingering. It burned my skin.

* * *

_Found my way back in the dark tonight, _

_Couldn't wake up not right next to you,_

_I'd trade in forever to just hear you say the sound of my name,_

_Don't believe that the weather is perfect the day that you die._

* * *

I pulled my hand away after a moment.

And I knew that he could tell that I was not alright.

"Hime…?"

I had to listen carefully to hear his voice.

"What is it?" I was getting sleepy.

"I want to become a human."

My eyes widened in shock. "Don't say such blasphemous things, Sasuke!"

"What…?" he was confused.

"Do you even know how painful that is?! They'll rip your wings out if you say that too loud. Besides, you know that's just a myth. It's not really possible." I wasn't so sure about this, but I guessed there was something in The Rule Book about it.

He looked downwards. "You…wouldn't want me…? If I became a human?"

I shook my head at his convoluted way of thinking. "Of course I'd want you! I always want you. But I wouldn't want you to go through that pain for me, just as you wouldn't want me to throw away my life for you."

He looked away. "Promise me you won't do that to yourself, Sasuke." I demanded of him.

"…I promise…" he muttered reluctantly.

I didn't know if the look on his face was genuine or not and in all honesty, it scared me.

"Besides…" I said gently, looking down at the flowers, "You have Karin now." You don't need me anymore.

"You act like I'm replacing you with her." He sighed.

I didn't answer.

"Do you really think that?" he pressed on. After a moment of my silence he sighed again. "Hime…I could never replace you. You know that. I would never want to replace you with anyone. You'll always be my most precious person. Always you." That didn't matter, because he had to say that. He had to feel that way. The bond forced him to feel that attachment towards me. It wasn't on his own accord. I looked down at my arm where a thin scar ran across it. The scar that had bonded Sasuke and myself. The scar that made him my angel. He had an identical one on his arm. They had cut us and mixed our blood. Like when you were younger and wanted to be 'blood brothers' with your best friend. Except this was forever.

I looked at Sasuke with saddened eyes. "It's hard," I admitted. "To watch the one you love be with somebody else."

He broke eye contact with me and looked away. Things were getting too depressing for my liking. We didn't usually fight. I always came here to escape my home. Escape my world. "You weren't supposed to love me in the first place…" I heard him murmur helplessly.

"And now, I can't come to you at three in the morning if I wanted. Now I can't just pop up whenever I want because she might be here. And now I won't know when to even come. It's not like I can call you or anything." If I needed him to comfort me…like I usually did. If I needed him to just be there at any given moment, I couldn't have that anymore.

Maybe…maybe I should break the bond. I bit my lip, silently cursing myself for thinking of such things. If that happened, I'd forget about Sasuke's existence. I didn't want that…

"You can still come whenever you want." He insisted.

He just didn't get girls. They always got jealous. And when two of them were in the same room, both liking the same man, it never went down pretty.

His innocence was beginning to annoy me. What was happening to us? I never got annoyed with him like this. I never…

My fingers stroked his wings silently.

"Do you love her?" I asked in a hush voice.

"I don't know…" He replied hesitantly.

That meant he did.

I thought letting go would be easier than this. But I was just a big baby. I tugged on my skirt, and watched as Sasuke took my phone out of my pocket, examining it closely. He always did this. I had the Voyager. He'd always ask me why there were so many buttons. I remember taking pictures with him too. I had to take the flash off because he'd jump whenever it came on. I watched as he attempted to navigate through my phone, reading my messages. He was lucky I didn't speak in computer talk. He'd be so lost.

"You talk about the most random stuff with your friends…" He murmured, changing the topic. Maybe that was what I needed now. To not think about it. I leaned closer to him, looking at my phone.

"Yeah, I know. Most of it is just mindless chatter." I shrugged.

I was a little proud of him actually; he was getting the hang of navigating it this time around. I smiled softly as he looked through my pictures.

"Whose this?" He asked, pointing to a blonde boy. Naruto. It was an old picture we had taken. He had to be my best friend in my universe. In the picture his arm was draped across my shoulder and he was kissing my cheek. I was grinning and sticking my tongue out at the camera. I wondered if it made Sasuke jealous at all.

"That's Naruto." I said fondly, my eyes softening. Sasuke looked at me innocently.

"Do you love him?" he asked repeating my earlier question. But I nodded.

"Yes."

Sasuke was probably confused. "You know there are different kinds of love. Friendship, parental, partnership… I love Naruto like a brother." I clarified, just for good measure. He looked back at the picture and whispered,

"Oh." Then he promptly continued to rifle through my pictures, stopping at certain ones to smile. There were a few pictures of him and me in there, but I always had to crop out his wings in case anyone found my phone. He lingered on a picture of us where I was holding the phone out, and he was giving me a piggyback ride. It must have been really old because we both looked younger. I remembered that day so well. We had a lot of fun exploring the land together... We always used to have fun and go on adventures together, but for some reason he stopped wanting to explore. He never told me why either…

I brought my knees to my chest, resting my chin on my knee. After he was done looking through my pictures he turned to me, handing the phone back.

"Let's take a picture." He suggested.

I scooted closer to him, holding out the phone silently. His arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me close to him. For someone who wasn't used to taking pictures, he sure was a natural. Maybe it was because he was so handsome that he could never look bad in a picture anyway. I smiled, flashing my teeth and took the picture. His arm pulled back from my waist as he leaned closer to examine the picture.

"I should put this on Facebook." I snickered lightly. We both looked good in the picture.

"What's Facebook?" He asked, tilting his head. I turned to him and giggled. It was so cute when he was innocent. I was beginning to forget why I was even upset with him in the first place.

"Well in my world we have this thing called computers. It allows us to talk to people all around the world, but without having to actually talk to them. And there's certain websites people go on in order to talk to other people. Facebook is one of the websites people go on to talk. And you have a picture for your profile. But people usually have a lot of pictures of their friends and stuff." I shrugged as he listened carefully to my explanation. "I'm sure a lot of people would like this picture. You're too cute." They'd probably ask who the heck this person was and why they haven't seen him before.

I shut my phone and looked at him as he digested my words. His dark orbs met mine and I swear I could get lost in his eyes.

I cleared my throat and stood up, dusting off my skirt. I held out my hand and pulled him up (with much effort).

I kept his hand in mine, and started walking along the pathway in silence.

"You know," He began casually. "I always felt so lucky to have you. Other angels are out there being tortured, and somehow I have you. You can't imagine how much I appreciate that. I love that you treat me like an equal and I feel spoiled compared to other angels. You wouldn't even care if I did break the rules or if I did something to disobey you. You wouldn't ever hit me or punish me. And I wonder what I did to deserve you sometimes."

I listened to his words carefully, feeling a small ache form in my chest. "I can't be cruel like that. What they do is horrible." I replied, squeezing his hand. "Besides… you didn't always have it easy. Your previous owner…he was cruel too." I stopped walking to look at him. My free hand cupped his cheek as I looked up into his eyes.

"He thought I killed his son…" Sasuke shut his eyes tightly. "I was only trying to protect him." His voice was soft.

"I know Sasuke, I know." I cooed. "You didn't do anything wrong." I dropped my hand and lowered my gaze to his chest, watching it rise and fall from his breaths.

Before I knew it, he engulfed me in a hug – taking me off guard. He never really sought out comfort. But I knew he was hurting on the inside. I returned the embrace, wrapping my arms around his neck and burying my face in his shoulder.

"It'll be alright." I promised. "I'm here."

* * *

Sneak Peak of Chapter 4 – Paper Wings:

My fingers grazed the thick, dusty book. It was completely worn down – as if it had been passed down for centuries. The cover looked ancient, almost like one of those medieval kind of books. I had never touched this book before. Never _seen _it even. But my curiosity was sparkling with the raw impulse to just take a peek. Just a small peek. Sasuke wasn't home. He wouldn't be home for a while. _He'd never even know._

Even still, I glanced around the room nervously. My heart pounded with anxiety. What if he came home and found me? What would he say? I brushed the thought aside quickly, banishing it. I sat down cross legged on the carpet and opened the book carefully.

_Angelus Mortis – Owner's Manuel._

The language on the left page looked like it was Latin or something, but on the right page it was all translated into English. I guessed for the humans that lived here. All of them spoke English. So this was it. I was finally looking at the infamous Rule Book. I felt extremely guilty…but what could a little reading do? No harm done.

I flipped to somewhere in the middle of the book, my eyes scanning the pages. I already knew a lot of this stuff. I guess Sasuke was pretty honest with me. He probably respected the fact that I never pushed him to show me the book. I felt a lump forming in my throat.

_This was so wrong._

* * *

**A/N – I'm terribly sorry for such the late update -.- I've been sort of in a writing rut recently. But I think I'm back on top (for now). With this story I had begun to find it monotonous, finding myself running out of ideas. But I recently thought of a lot more stuff to keep you guys entertained with :P Look forward to another update (hopefully) this month. Please bear with me; I'm only human after all. Thanks for reading, please review. I know you wanna ;] **


	4. Paper Wings

**Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto. Unfortunately. If I did, Sasuke and Sakura would have sexy babies with lovely sex scenes. Too bad.**

* * *

Fallen Feathers

* * *

**.::Chapter Four – Paper Wings::.**

_is it the life that you lead, or the life that's lead for you?_

_Will you take the road that's been laid out before you?_

_Will we cross paths,_

_Somewhere else tonight? _

* * *

A few weeks had gone by, with me visiting Sasuke regularly. Most of the time he was either out with Karin or home by him. So when he wasn't around anymore (I admit it was weird having to see him go out so much recently) I just left and came back later. Almost always, he'd be back.

Being that I never actually saw him with Karin, it wasn't too hard to just pretend that she didn't exist. I guessed that they were together now, because he had told me that he kissed her. I had just sat back and listened, not saying a word, and nodding occasionally while smiling. It seemed to please him I guessed. But if only he knew how I felt on the inside. If only he knew how angry and hurt and betrayed I felt. He told me he loved me. It made me wonder if he just told me that because he felt bad for me. He pitied me that I loved him so much.

I didn't get to see him as much as I used to, but that allowed me to do other things. Like spend time with my friends here. I began to hang out with Naruto more, and I sorta kinda told him about Sasuke without telling him. I explained to him how I met someone from far away and that I liked them. I told him that they got a girlfriend and now I felt like dirt.

"Well, don't worry Saku-chan, you still got me!" he had said, winking and laughing.

But right now I was alone. Home all by myself. Home to think and do nothing. I was sitting on the couch eating popcorn and watching reruns of Family Guy. It was pretty pathetic when you knew all the words to almost every episode. I had gone over to Sasuke's only to find that he was about to go out. He didn't mention if he was going with Karin or not, so I told him that I'd stop by later when he got back. That was fifteen minutes ago.

He never even bothered to specify how long he'd be out for. But I ventured to guess it would be a while. I stood up, bored of the television and threw the popcorn in the garbage. What's the harm of taking a peek inside his house and waiting there for him to come back? I doubted he minded.

So here I suddenly was – in my sweats – at Sasuke's house. It was quiet and empty just like my house. It was almost as if I was right at home. I walked around his rooms, quite bored. I stopped into his kitchen and opened his fridge. Nope, nothing good. Close. There was nothing to do here either! I sighed and plopped down on the couch in his living room.

And that's when I noticed it.

From across the room, my eyes spotted the book laying carefully on his bookshelf on the top shelf. There it was, the forbidden Rule Book. It looked so innocent, sitting there all by itself. Suddenly, my pulse was racing. What if… what if I read it?

I stood, unable to control myself and walked towards the bookshelf, picking it up cautiously.

My fingers grazed the thick, dusty book. It was completely worn down – as if it had been passed down for centuries. The cover looked ancient, almost like one of those medieval kind of books. I had never touched this book before. Never _seen _it even. But my curiosity was sparkling with the raw impulse to just take a peek. Just a small peek. Sasuke wasn't home. He wouldn't be home for a while. _He'd never even know._

Even still, I glanced around the room nervously. My heart pounded with anxiety. What if he came home and found me? What would he say? I brushed the thought aside quickly, banishing it. I sat down cross legged on the carpet and opened the book carefully.

_Angelus Mortis – Owner's Manuel._

The language on the left page looked like it was Latin or something, but on the right page it was all translated into English. I guessed for the humans that lived here. All of them spoke English. So this was it. I was finally looking at the infamous Rule Book. I felt extremely guilty…but what could a little reading do? No harm done.

I flipped to somewhere in the middle of the book, my eyes scanning the pages. I already knew a lot of this stuff. I guess Sasuke was pretty honest with me. He probably respected the fact that I never pushed him to show me the book. I felt a lump forming in my throat.

_This was so wrong._

I read on, mildly horrified by the things that this book had the audacity to state.

_If an owner's Angel ever attempts to run away, and/ or fails to sacrifice their life for the owner's when the owner is in a life threatening situation, the owner is permitted to punish said angel however they see fit. Most common punishments are: ripping of the wings, twenty lashes, removal of finger nails, burned feet, or one month without food and water._

I attempted to swallow, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. How could people do this? These poor angels…

_If an owner's Angel talks back to or disrespects the owner, the owner is permitted to sew the Angel's mouth shut for any given amount of time. _

Tears were freely flowing down my cheeks now. What if this had been Sasuke? I flipped past the punishment section, unable to read any further.

_Chapter Eight – The Owner_

_If any owner ever falls in love with their Angel, the Potentes can and will punish both the Angel and the owner severely. There are no freebees when it comes to this, as it is a serious felony. Forms of punishment may vary, although usually the Angel is crucified on a stake, and burned to death while the owner watches. The owner will then be banished to the __Atrum Locus. If the owner is ever seen anywhere but there, they will have the same fate that their Angel had._

I felt numb. So this was what would happen to us? Sasuke would be…burned. I always knew he told me something like this could happen, but he said they didn't do it unless it was an extreme situation. He was being too modest. He didn't want to make me worry. He didn't want me to see any of this. So far, I hadn't found out much that I hadn't already known but there was a book full of rules that I had yet to read. I doubted I'd even be able to read it all before Sasuke got back. How long had he been gone anyway? I didn't know, but I was enthralled in reading this. In a sickening way, I was fascinated. I couldn't stop reading. It made me nauseous to read this, but yet I couldn't take my eyes off the pages.

_If the owner is the opposite sex of their Angel – _This caught my eye. This pertained to me. I read on – _it has been found best that when the owner reaches a certain age (see page 342) that their Angel will be passed onto a new owner. The current owner will forget all their memories about their Angel. This is to ensure that Angels and their owners do not fall in love. When – _

"Hime?"

My eyes widened considerably, and I dropped the book as if it was on fire. I sprang up to my feet in record time, and my lungs momentarily stopped working. I choked on my breath, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Sasuke." I whispered in shock.

Upon taking in the scene in front of him, Sasuke's eyes widened almost as wide as mine. Everything seemed to move in slow motion for a second, his horrified facial expression ingrained into my memory. Then in a flash, he ran to me. I felt his arms yank on mine, so hard that I heard a small crack, but I couldn't feel any pain now. I was numb. My body went flying onto the couch, as I watched through glassy eyes.

He bent down to examine the book, almost feeling the need to make sure his eyes were correct. I didn't move and neither did he. For a long time we sat in silence, and if I looked close enough I could see him shaking.

But my mind was hung up on something else entirely.

_The current owner will forget all their memories about their Angel._

I couldn't forget about Sasuke. Never. Sasuke was _mine. _He would always be mine. Why had he never told me this? And what age would he leave me at?

Then he spoke,

"Why?"

One word. Three letters. So simple. And yet, I couldn't answer him. I opened my mouth but no words came out.

"Why?" he repeated louder. I swallowed, flinching slightly. He's never been this angry. Oh god, what did I do?

Swiftly, his body turned to mine. I saw hurt, anger, and sadness in those onyx orbs of his. His glare pierced right through me.

"Answer me." He demanded. At this moment I felt like the child being reprimanded by their parent. I felt like he was the one in charge, instead of the other way around. I clenched my fist. He knew I couldn't punish him. He knew I didn't have it in me. He knew he could act like this.

"I don't know!" I finally shouted, tears streaking down my cheeks. "It – it was there and I…I just…"

"You just _what? _…Hime…what did you _see?" _I could tell that he struggled to say the honorific. I chewed the inside of my cheek.

I knew that I betrayed his trust by reading the book. But why didn't he tell me that he had to leave me? He could have at least told me. Who knew what else was in the damned book. I wanted to burn it.

I glared back at him, my eyes drying. Bravely, I shoved him back. "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you say that I'd forget you!" I was yelling loudly now. He faltered for a moment, then he took my hands and pinned them behind my back.

I struggled to be free of his grasp, but it was to no use. He looked down at me, eerily calm.

"That doesn't matter." He hissed. "I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to worry." His voice was dripping with anger. "I trusted you." And then he let go of my wrists. His eyes blazed red.

I looked down, staring at our feet. Now he was trying to make me feel guilty. I already felt guilty enough. I tried thinking of a decent rebuttal but could find none.

"Screw you…" I muttered, wiping my eyes. He should have just told me. "What else is in that book, huh?" I demanded quietly.

"None of your _business." _He answered curtly. I've never seen him like this. My head whipped up, appalled.

"It is so my business! I give you so much, damnit. I never yell at you. I never punish you. I never do anything! And now you get mad at me for this? And then say it's none of my business. Well newsflash, it is. In fact, it's more mine than it is yours." I was rambling on, and soon enough I was going to say something that I didn't mean.

"Then punish me." He pushed my shoulder lightly. "Go ahead. I know you know what the punishments are. Go ahead. Whip me. Beat me." He pushed me again, harder this time. I swatted his hand away.

"Don't test me Sasuke." I warned.

"Rip my wings off! Starve me. Go ahead, do it! I dare you." He kept pushing me back, using both hands now. I could tell he was getting worked up, and so was I. And then I snapped.

"Get your hands _off me!"_ I shrieked, pushing him backwards.

He stumbled back a few steps. I raised my hand, and before I could even think, I scratched his face. Hard. So hard, that it hurt me afterwards. But I didn't show it. Sasuke blinked, shocked. I gasped, pulling my hand back. I stepped away from him, noticing three red lines adorning his cheek. Blood began to ooze out of the red lines, making them appear bigger.

"Oh my god…" I whispered. "Sas…uke.."

I had never hit him before. I never laid a finger on him. I shut my eyes tightly, blinking back tears. And when I opened them again, he was looking right at me. All the anger from before was gone, and replacing it was fear. I reached out to touch him but then pulled back.

"I...I'm sorry…" I breathed.

"…Hime…?" I watched as he brought his hand to his cheek, his fingers becoming coated in the red liquid. He looked at his red fingertips. I couldn't read his facial expression.

And at this moment, something between us shattered. The bond that we had formed, so close and loving, was destroyed. Marred. At this was _my _fault. I…I couldn't believe what I just did. I stepped back, wanting to leave and run away, but too scared that if I did, I'd never see him again.

"Sasuke I'm…so…" I couldn't even finish the words. What could I do right now? There was nothing to say to make things better. I bit my lip and ran to get a washcloth and a bandage. I came back quickly and dabbed his cheek, wiping off the blood. He was silent and frozen the entire time. I shut my eyes tightly, salty liquid dripping down my cheeks. He then looked down at me and I wrapped my arms around his neck desperately, but he did not return my embrace.

Pulling away, I continued to dab his cheek until the blood stopped. "Sorry…so sorry."

I watched as he cleared his throat. "Sakura-hime." It seemed that he was in control once again. I blinked out of my apologetic rambling and looked up at him with big, sad eyes. "No, _I'm _sorry. I…was out of line. I deserved that." And that was it. There was no going back. I would never be the way I was with him again. Because of this moment. My mouth hung open in horror.

"But Sasuke – "

He held up his hand. "You had every right to do what you did."

I hesitated, placing the bandage on his cheek. My hand lingered there. "But that's not who I am." I looked down, my hand trailing down his cheek to his neck. "I never…hit anyone before…"

He took my hand and softly took it away from his neck and dropped it.

I buried my face in my hands, sobbing quietly. "Sasuke…" I choked on my words. I couldn't let this go…

Sasuke stepped away from me. I wondered what he was thinking. He was probably hurt and upset. Betrayed and angry even. But right now he wasn't showing any of that. His expression was stoic, just like it used to be when we first became acquainted. I had promised myself that I would make him smile. I would give him a reason to smile. And I worked hard to break him out of his shell. All for it to be torn down in one instant. All the memories, times we've shared… I could see it bursting into flames before my very eyes.

"That one thing…it…it was the only thing I saw that you haven't already told me…" I mumbled, as if trying to defend myself. I bravely met his gaze. "When are you going to leave me, Sasuke? When will I forget about you?" And did that mean that I would forget my ability to even come here to begin with? Was this why he was choosing Karin? So many questions that I wanted to ask that I couldn't.

He remained tight lipped, without responding. "I won't make you answer that." I supposed it was best that we didn't talk about that now. But my heart thrummed painfully against my chest, knowing that I wouldn't remember him. How could I not? He was the biggest part of my life. Without him I'd be nothing.

* * *

_And I can't tell if you're laughing,_

_between each smile there's a tear in your eye._

_There's a train leaving town in an hour,_

_it's not waiting for you. And neither am I._

* * *

"_Ne, Sasuke. What in the world would I do without you?" My twelve year old self exclaimed. Sasuke looked over at me and nudged my shoulder._

"_Aw, you don't need me _that_ much do ya Sakura-hime?" he teased lightly._

"_Oh, I'll always need you! Forever and ever!" He smiled at my cute behavior._

"_Your too enthusiastic." He chuckled. I smiled back and held out my pinky._

"_Pinky promise that you'll never leave me." I stated. He looked at my hand for a long while, as if contemplating something. _

_Suddenly, a wild Centaur came bursting out of the forest we were in. Sasuke seemed to be relieved, but for what reason I had no clue. He abruptly got up and grabbed my arm, dashing us out of the forest._

* * *

He never did pinky promise.

He _couldn't _pinky promise.

"Sasuke I can't live without you." I gripped my arms, hugging myself softly. He clenched his fist and tightened his jaw.

"You have to." He stated curtly.

The doorbell rang. Sasuke glanced from me to the door. Wiping my eyes with the back of my hand, I picked up my purse. "Don't keep her waiting Sasuke. It's not nice."

I still couldn't read his facial expression. It was blank. Without a word he walked to answer the door. Lo and behold, it was Karin waiting. I waited for a few moments, watching as he hugged her gently, a smile forming on his lips. He took her hand and before I could see them come inside, I disappeared.

Within a few moments, I was back in my room.

I kicked off my shoes angrily and threw my purse to the ground. It didn't take me long to change into my pajamas. I heard a knock on my door.

"Come in." My tone was snippier than I intended.

My mother opened the door, all dressed in her work outfit. Wow, I guess I just made it home on time. I sighed in relief.

"You hungry? I ordered McDonalds."

I plopped on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. "No thanks, I'm not hungry. I'm actually feeling a little nauseous." I murmured. Seeing Sasuke with Karin made me want to throw up.

"Do you need medicine?" She asked pleasantly. I shook my head.

"I think I just need to sleep." She nodded.

"Alright honey. Feel better."

"Thanks." I said as she closed the door quietly. I lay there in the darkness for quite some time, thinking things over. Was it my fault? Sorta. But it was his as well. What would happen now… would I still visit him? I didn't know. And quite frankly I didn't care at the moment. I was too exhausted to worry about anything else. So I shut my eyes, and didn't open them again until the next morning.

* * *

**Sneak Peak of Chapter Five – Guardian Angel:**

"Sakura-chan… I do like you. A lot…" I turned to see Naruto looking down, obviously embarrassed. I didn't reply, so he continued. "…but, I don't want to ruin our friendship, of course. I value that more than anything, and – "

That was all I needed to hear.

I pulled Naruto's face to mine and kissed him. This was for Sasuke. This was all for him. I would get him back so bad. Hurt him just like he was hurting me. He deserved it. Naruto kissed me back instantly, his arms wrapping around my waist. I was a bad person. Doing this to Naruto. But who knows? I might actually learn to love Naruto more than a brother. And move on from Sasuke. That would be best. But right now, this was just revenge.

Naruto pulled away. We were silent, the only noise able to be heard was the munching of popcorn. Had the movie started already? Oh well. "What does this mean?" He asked, slightly out of breath.

Well I knew what this meant. I guessed I was going to have to make the first move. I tilted my head. "What do you want it to mean?"

It was cute to see him flustered. He reminded me of myself whenever I got flustered. "Well, would you…would you want to be my girlfriend?" He looked up at me innocently, and I could hear his heart racing. My eyes softened as I nodded.

"I'd like that."

* * *

**A/N – I know this chapter is shorter than normal, but I couldn't go into the next section without making the chapter too long. So because of this, I'll update the next chapter a little quicker as a gift. Oh, if you want you can give me a gift back too! It's really easy! And FREE! All you have to do is review my story :D ! Thanks so much for reading 3! **

**PS – I don't know if anyone's noticed or not, but from Chapter Two onwards, I've been naming chapters as Song Names. Feel free to look any of them up, it's great music I tell ya. This chapter was based on Paper Wings by Rise Against (:**


	5. Guardian Angel

**Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto. Unfortunately.**

**A/N - I'd really like to thank all of my supporters through this story so far. You really inspired me all (: **

**Special thanks to all of my (wonderful) reviewers:** **somanycrushes21, sasusaku4eva12695, missladyemiko, no tears left to cry, cutecookiechick, melody-berry2, Schaaf09, yukihime211, Saffrie, haunted13 and RomanceIsMyDoom 3 **

* * *

Fallen Feathers

**

* * *

****.::Chapter Five – Guardian Angel::.**

_And now that I'm strong I have figured out, _

_how this world turns cold and replaces my soul. _

_and I know, I'll find,_

_deep inside me, I can be the one._

* * *

It was nearing the end of April. Goodbye jeans, hello plaid miniskirts. Spring Break was but a day away. A half a day, really. It was Friday, and we only had a half day. Then we had the entire week next week off. I had planned on staying with Sasuke for the whole week, but I wasn't entirely sure that I was still gunna do that anymore.

"Saku-chan!" Naruto's voice interrupted me from my thoughts. I snapped out of my daze and looked at him, smiling softly.

"Yes?" I answered. He smiled and laughed.

"Were you day dreaming?" He arched an eyebrow with a playful grin adorning his cheeks. I nodded sheepishly.

"Yeah, I just zonked out." I rubbed my eyes and stretched, yawning. I hadn't slept well last night. Granted, I slept the whole night, but it was a restless sleep. I think I had nightmares or something. But I had shrugged it off and started my day like normal. Naruto pat my shoulder.

"That's alright. Well, the bell just rang. Let's go to lunch." Naruto gathered his books along with mine – to which I thanked him gratefully – and continued down the hallway to the cafeteria. I passed by a few people on the way, smiling and saying hello.

Once we reached the cafeteria, we got on line immediately before it got too long. I ordered a slice of pizza and a Snapple (heaven).

I had forgotten what it was like to not spend my whole day wondering what Sasuke was up to. I hadn't just been with my friends in a long time. It shocked me how much I relied on Sasuke. But not anymore. I'd cut my ties with him so that we could continue our relationship the way it was supposed to be. The way an Owner and an Angel should be.

We sat down at our lunch table, waiting for the others to get back. Naruto pulled out a cup of Ramen Noodles and I rolled my eyes.

"Dude, you are _obsessed." _I told him matter of factly. He laughed and nodded.

"I know. But it's the best!" he exclaimed proudly. I giggled softly.

That's what I loved most about Naruto. Whenever I was around him, I could forget my troubles. He didn't really comfort me about things unless I asked him to. His way of making me feel better was getting me to laugh. And it always worked. He was a funny character.

I rolled my eyes, smiling softly as he scarfed down the noodles. I took a bite of my pizza, watching as Ino – my other best friend – came prancing into the cafeteria. She was with her new boyfriend, Shikamaru, who was nice enough I supposed. He was just really lazy. But underneath that laziness was a genius. Ino sat down across from me as Shikamaru went to go get their lunch.

"Hey Ino-pig." I mocked, smirking. Ever since we were younger, we always competed with each other, mocking one another. All in good fun though of course.

"Forehead." She teased, commenting on my (disgustingly) large forehead. At least that's what I thought. Naruto swore that my forehead was normal size.

I sipped my Snapple as Naruto nudged my shoulder. "Ne, Sakura-chan, do you have a dollar by any chance? I wanna buy another Ramen." I dug through my purse, handing Naruto a dollar. He smiled brightly and kissed my cheek. "Thanks!" And he flew off to meet Shikamaru on line.

"So forehead," Ino began conversationally. I arched an eyebrow in response. "You and Naruto. What's going on between you two?" She accused.

"Huh?"

She leaned in closer. "Don't you '_huh' _me. There's something going on between you two." I shook my head.

"No there isn't." I answered innocently. She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Puh – lease! I'm not the only one that notices it." She thrummed her fingernails against the table as Shikamaru returned with Naruto. "You're not off the hook." She warned as they came to sit back down at the table.

Something going on with Naruto? What was she talking about? She knew we were close. But did it seem like we were flirting? I never was able to tell. It just seemed like we were brother and sister. Although there was this rumor going around for a while that Naruto liked me. I wasn't sure how true that was.

The rest of the lunch period went on normally, with Ino and Shikamaru making out practically the whole time. It was weird to see Ino with someone like him. It wasn't typical of her. Things began to get a little awkward for Naruto and me, so we just decided to ignore them.

"So, how come I haven't seen you at all?" he was referring to the fact that I hadn't hung out with him since my birthday. Blame Sasuke, I wanted to tell him.

"You know how my parents are." I shrugged. "Why, you missed me?" I smiled.

"Of course." He replied honestly. My smile grew wider. "So," He continued. "Are you busy today?"

Hmm, was I? Well it wasn't exactly like Sasuke and I left off on the best of terms. But then again, I hadn't visited him since then. Things were sure to be awkward, but I didn't want to go too long without seeing him. I had promised him that the last time I visited him wouldn't be the last time I saw him and I meant it.

"I'm sorry Naruto…I think I'm busy today. How bout tomorrow?" I asked casually. He faltered for a moment but then nodded.

"Fine, but I'll hold you to it. I wanna go to the movies."

"Alright." I giggled softly.

* * *

_Use me as you will,_

_Pull my strings just for a thrill._

_And are you happy again?_

_Though my skies are turning grey._

* * *

After school, I came straight home and did the little amount of homework that I had over break. Best get that done and over with. I straightened out my room and did laundry, the usual stuff. After my chores were finished, I made sure my parents were gone and I wrote a sticky note that I would be out. I left it on the table and went to visit Sasuke promptly.

I took a deep breath, appearing outside of his house. I haven't appeared in his house in quite some time. Just in case. Peering through the window, I didn't see anyone there. I opened the door quietly and tip toed in the door.

"Mm..."

I heard a noise coming from the bedroom and I felt my stomach flip. It couldn't be…

Creeping closer, I peered through the crack in the door. There was Sasuke and Karin on the bed, making out passionately. My breath stopped completely. I clenched my fists and reminded myself that I had no right to get angry. Before I could get noticed, I left and returned home. I didn't need him. I didn't need his drama. I could do just fine in my own world, thank you very much.

Once I returned home, I quickly ran upstairs to my room.

Smirking, I applied eyeliner and put on a pair of skinny jeans and a band tee. I grabbed my phone and dialed Naruto's number, plopping on the bed. Man he took forever to answer his –

"Hello?" He sounded as if he just woke up from a nap.

"Naruto? Hey. My plans changed. Today seems like a great day to go out. Pick me up?"

I could practically picture Naruto's bright smile over the phone. "Sure be right there."

I giggled and hung up the phone, running down stairs with my purse and iPod. Alas, no one else was home but that didn't surprise me. I watched outside the window for Naruto and his navy blue Honda. Within ten minutes, the doorbell rang and Naruto was at my door. I answered with a bright smile on my face. I would forget about Sasuke for now because he was certainly forgetting about me. Besides, because of Sasuke, I'd been ditching all my other friends. I wouldn't allow that to happen anymore.

"Hey." He said, winking. I took his hand, interlacing our fingers and shut the door, locking it behind me.

"Let's go."

The movies were pretty crowded, but we didn't mind. It hadn't occurred to me until now, but I wondered if Naruto considered this a date or just hanging out. After the conversation with Ino earlier, I wondered if Naruto really _did _like me.

"What movie do you want to see?" I pondered, looking up at the list of movies. Naruto pointed to the left. I rolled my eyes. "You would want to see She's Outta my League. I actually wanted to see it too. It looks funny." I noticed how we were still holding hands.

"Exactly." Naruto said. When we arrived at the front counter, I reached in my purse to get money but Naruto stopped me before I could find my wallet. "I got it." He said smugly. I rolled my eyes, smiling softly.

"Woah, really? What's the special occasion? You never have money!" I laughed softly, feigning sarcasm. He shrugged and handed the money over casually. After we got our tickets, Naruto bought us a large popcorn and iced tea to share. He was really going all out. After a short wait on the snack line, we were in the theatre. I ran down to the middle, making sure we got the best seats available. I heard Naruto chuckling behind me with our snacks as I plopped into the comfy seat. Naruto sat down next to me and put our drink in the cup holder. I hoped Naruto wasn't gunna try and pull any of those classic moves. That'd be really cheesy. I lifted the arm rest – it was annoying me – and snuggled against his chest. He was even more comfortable than the seats. He put his arm around me instantly. I had to admit that I've never thought of Naruto in _that_ way before. He had always been my best friend. And I had always been too busy with other people or _ahem, _Sasuke. I guessed it wouldn't be so bad, being with Naruto. He was good to me, would always be good to me. Then again, I had thought the same of Sasuke.

The opening credits began and the lights dimmed.

I was beginning to get more curious. Did Naruto like me? I had to know.

"Naruto?" I asked quietly. I fidgeted with my fingers – a nervous habit among others that I had.

"Yeah?" he replied.

I took a deep breath. Should I ask him, or just let it go? "Do you…do you like me?" I rushed out before I decided to not ask. I looked up at him. He hesitated, and didn't say anything. He wouldn't meet my gaze.

"Why do you want to know?" was his reply.

Were our faces getting closer? No…that was just my imagination. I flashed back to Sasuke and Karin making out. If he was going to do this to me, well then I'd do it right back. I smiled. "Curious."

I could see Naruto's blush even in the dim lighting. "No…"

I faltered. "You don't?" Well that caught me off guard. I watched as he swallowed, and I wondered what he was thinking. He shook his head quickly, but I could see his resolve breaking. Oh, so that's how it was going to be? I got off his chest and leaned back in my own seat. "Well, that's too bad." I said, shrugging.

He looked at me so fast I swore he could have gotten whip lash. "What do you mean?"

I watched him from the corner of my eye. _Gotcha. _"Well," I shrugged, "if you had, I might've done something."

His eyes widened as I fully faced him, my green orbs locking with his cerulean ones. "Like what?"

For some reason, I felt empowered. I never felt this way around a guy before. I felt bold, like my actions would be completely accepted instead of frowned upon. I wouldn't have to sneak around with Naruto. I wouldn't have to worry about him not wanting to be with me. I leaned towards him, placing my hand against his chest. "Well, I might have… –"

I got rudely interrupted by someone trying to pass through our row. It was a tall fat man, all by his lonesome, carrying a bag of popcorn, a soda and candy. Seriously?

"Excuse me." He said as he was passing through. Once he sat down at the end of our row (thank god), I sighed and leaned back in my seat once more. First attempt: failed. Nice try though. Please play again.

There was a slight awkwardness that passed through us. Where would we go from here?

"Sakura-chan… I do like you. A lot…" I turned to see Naruto looking down, obviously embarrassed. I didn't reply, so he continued. "…but, I don't want to ruin our friendship, of course. I value that more than anything, and – "

That was all I needed to hear.

I pulled Naruto's face to mine and kissed him. This was for Sasuke. This was all for him. I would get him back so bad. Hurt him just like he was hurting me. He deserved it. Naruto kissed me back instantly, his arms wrapping around my waist. I was a bad person. Doing this to Naruto. But who knows? I might actually learn to love Naruto more than a brother. And move on from Sasuke. That would be best. But right now, this was just revenge.

Naruto pulled away. We were silent; the only noise able to be heard was the munching of popcorn. Had the movie started already? Oh well. "What does this mean?" He asked, slightly out of breath.

Well I knew what this meant. I guessed I was going to have to make the first move. I tilted my head. "What do you want it to mean?"

It was cute to see him flustered. He reminded me of myself whenever I got flustered. "Well, would you…would you want to be my girlfriend?" He looked up at me innocently, and I could hear his heart racing. My eyes softened as I nodded.

"I'd like that."

Naruto nodded and smiled. "Okay." I bit my lip in anticipation. I needed proof that I was moving on. Just thinking about this whole thing made my stomach sick. What was wrong with me? Calming myself with a few deep breaths, I took out my phone.

"Well then let's take a new Facebook picture together." I suggested, forcing a smile. I had flash on my phone anyway. Naruto pulled closer to me. I held my phone up and at the last second, I pulled Naruto's face towards mine for a soft kiss. I snapped the photo and pulled away, blushing slightly. I was never this bold. But maybe that was just the revenge talking.

I looked at Naruto's blushing face and snuggled against him once more.

Yeah, spring break was going to be great.

* * *

_Seasons are changing, and waves are crashing,_

_and stars are falling,_

_all for us._

_Days grow longer, and night grow shorter,_

_I can show you I'll be the one._

* * *

Naruto dropped me off after the movie ended, and gave me a kiss on the cheek goodnight. He was so gentleman-like. I smiled fondly, remembering his nervous and anxious face. I jumped into the shower, allowing my brain some time to think. The hot water felt good against my back. It soothed my chills. I was in the shower for about a half hour before I finally decided to get out.

The bed was comfortable once I changed into my pajamas. I felt fresh and clean. I yawned and snuggled into my pillows. Maybe, I would visit Sasuke tomorrow and apologize for everything that happened.

I closed my eyes, and for once, dreamt of a boy with blue eyes and blonde hair.

It seemed morning came too quickly, because my father shook me awake. I opened my eyes tiredly. It was only 8:00 AM. Why was he waking me up so early?

"Sakura, I just wanted to let you know that your mother and I will be out during the day, but we'll be home in time for dinner, alright?"

I smiled. Dinner with my parents tonight? "That sounds great, dad. I'll make something good." I promised. He laughed quietly.

"You don't have to cook." I closed my eyes.

"I know. I want to." I felt him lean down and press a kiss to my forehead.

"Get some rest. See you later." I felt him get up and walk to the door, shutting the light.

"Love you." I murmured softly. Just before he shut the door behind him, I heard him whisper,

"Me too."

I only fell asleep for another hour after that. I couldn't sleep late if I wanted to visit Sasuke and get back home in time to make dinner. I didn't bother changing out of my pajamas – which was just a large black tee shirt and plaid pants – but brushed through my hair quickly. It was somewhat wavy from last night's shower, and I was too lazy to straighten it now. Guess I was going _Au Natural. _

Sasuke was sleeping when I got to his house. I heard his cute and soft snoring from the living room. Being that we didn't leave off on the best of terms, I wondered if my presence was unwelcomed. I opened his bedroom door and crept in, sitting on the side of his bed. My hand reached out to stroke his face, and his eyes shot open. Man, he was such a light sleeper.

"..Sak..ur.." he was dazed from sleep. I bit my lip and nodded,

"Hi."

He blinked, coming to terms with his surroundings. "..Hi..." he sat up, causing the blanket to fall. He was sleeping shirtless _again. _I had to refrain myself from rolling my eyes.

He wasn't saying anything else, so I guessed I had to be the initiator.

"So…" Awkward. He tilted his head, seemingly unaware.

"What brings you here so early? Not that I mind of course." His hair was so freaking cute! He had the best looking bed head hair I've ever seen. I momentarily forgot why I even came here.

"I…well…" my eyes softened at his innocent look as he blinked, waiting for me to reply. "I just came to say hello." He smiled softly.

"Hello then."

I giggled and twirled my hair. "My parents are going to be home for dinner tonight." I said happily. "I'm going to cook for them and everything. So I can't stay that long. But I'm happy."

He placed his hand atop my head. "That's good." Maybe I didn't have to apologize. That was the coward side of me talking, I knew. But if he wasn't angry, what was there to apologize for? I noticed the small scab that was on his cheek. I wonder what Karin said when she saw it. I wonder what _Sasuke _said.

I leaned forward, giving him a gentle hug. "I didn't mean to wake you." I squeezed him then pulled away before he could hug me back. "Go back to sleep, silly." I stood up and gentle pushed his shoulders so that he was laying down. He opened his mouth to protest, but then closed it again.

"I'll come tomorrow." I promised. He nodded as I pulled the covers back over him. I sat down once more on the edge of the bed and leaned down to kiss his forehead, just like my father had done hours earlier. Sometimes I felt protective of him. Sometimes I felt like a mother-figure to him. But I knew I shouldn't feel anything towards him.

And as I kissed his forehead, I vanished from his sight, leaving him to sleep.

* * *

_When I see your smile,_

_Tears roll down my face._

_I can't replace._

* * *

"One last thing, I beg you please, just before you go." I sang merrily. "I've watched you fly on paper wings, half way 'round the world until they, burned up in the atmosphere! …and sent you spiraling down. Landing somewhere far from here with noooowhere else to goooo – "

"Sakura-hime, what in the _world _are you singing?" Sasuke asked blatantly. I was lying down on his bed, with my iPod plugged in my ears. Things still weren't quite right with what happened the other day, but when I came to visit him on Saturday, he didn't seem angry or upset with me. So I just sorta ignored the fact that we got into a fight. I wouldn't bring it up and neither would he. I peeked at him through one eye, feigning annoyance.

"How dare you interrupt my beautiful singing." I scoffed. He sat down next to me and I sat up, placing an ear bud in his ear. "Here, you're obviously lacking good taste of music. This song is called Paper Wings by a band called Rise Against. They're really good when you listen to the lyrics."

Sasuke held the ear piece to his ear and closed his eyes, listening to the chorus. How ironic, I thought, that I'd be listening to this song. The symbolism was almost surreal.

Once the song finished, he gave me back the ear bud, nodding slowly. "It's a good song." He agreed.

"Told you." I wrapped the headphone cord around my iPod and shoved it in my pocket.

"You never did tell me why you didn't come Friday." He said, looking at me calmly. I regarded him carefully.

"Well, I did come on Friday. But apparently, I came at the wrong time. You were occupied at the moment." I stated, surprisingly with no bitterness in my voice.

"Oh." Was his reply.

"_So,"_ I exaggerated, "I had to occupy myself by doing something else. Actually, I wound up having a really good time. I went out with Naruto to the movies." Sasuke smiled; pleased with the fact that I wasn't alone doing absolutely nothing when I wasn't with him. Why was he so selfless? It made me feel so damn guilty. I hated that.

"I'm glad."

"Why thank you." I smiled, stretching out my arms.

He took my phone out of my pocket, and lay on his back as he scrolled through my recent pictures. I acted innocent and oblivious as I watched him stop and stare at one picture. I didn't even have to see the screen to know which picture he was looking at. I had actually counted on him scrolling through my phone. I didn't want to tell him outright, that would seem like I was trying to make him jealous. Which was exactly what I was doing, of course. But I didn't want to _seem _that way. Duh.

"What's this?" he asked weakly. I leaned over his shoulder to peer at the picture. I acted embarrassed, grabbing the phone out of his hands.

"Nothing." I replied hastily. He eyed me suspiciously.

"So you kissing Naruto is nothing?" he arched an eyebrow. I looked down and bit my lip, playing with my phone. I should really become like, an actress or something.

"I found out that he likes me – has liked me for a long time. I figured…that since you were… I figured I'd give him a chance…" I looked at him sheepishly.

He stared at my phone even as I held it. Finally, I'm getting some points here. Mission: Accomplished. Score one, Sakura.

"You kissed him." He stated. I nodded. "I thought you said you only kissed people you loved?"

Psh, there were so many places I could go with that. I chose the first thing that popped into mind.

"So that means you love Karin then, right?"

His gaze hardened ever so slightly. "That's not what I'm talking about…don't…change the subject…" he seemed more careful when talking to me, ever since I scratched him. That made it hard to ignore the fact that it happened. The small scar that I left also made it quite difficult. It wasn't fully healed yet. Angels take forever to heal. Another perk of a punishment.

"I do love Naruto. I told you that already." I crossed my arms.

"You said…" he looked at me helplessly, making my heart melt. How did he do that to me? With one look…I unfolded my arms and took his hands in mine. I dropped my façade and spoke to him honestly. No revenge, no lies.

"I don't want to move on…" I began slowly, "But maybe you were right. Maybe this is the best for us. We both acted foolishly, and I don't want to risk you getting hurt. I don't want to fight…especially knowing…that I don't have much time left with you…" I choked back a sob.

"Hime, it's not like that. Not yet…we still have time…I'm not…going anywhere…yet…" he attempted to reassure. I smiled weakly.

"You won't tell me when, will you? You can answer me honestly."

He shook his head softly. "I don't want you to worry."

"Fine then. But Sasuke, I _am _sorry. I never meant to hurt you, as I'm sure you never meant to hurt me." I touched the scar on his cheek lightly.

He placed his hand atop mine and held my hand against his cheek before he replied solemnly,

"I know."

* * *

**Sneak Peak of Chapter Six – Reverse This Curse:**

"Now, Sakura. Answer me this: do you love Sasuke?" My heart skipped a beat.

"No." I replied firmly without hesitation. Good, you can do this Sakura. Remember, Sasuke's in more pain now. You have to get through this, I told myself.

"..."

"Kisame."

At the word, Kisame took another finger of Sasuke's and repeated the process from before. I flinched slightly as Sasuke's loud wailing took me off guard. I choked back a sob.

Sasuke…kun…

* * *

**A/N- The chapter was based off of Guardian Angel by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. I'm running of out song titles that have anything to do with angels -.- Anyway, my brain has been spewing out ideas like crazy for this story. Consider yourselves lucky :] Reviews would be loved and appreciated! **


	6. Reverse This Curse

**Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Fallen Feathers

* * *

**.::Chapter Six – Reverse This Curse::.**

_Last night I had the weirdest dream,_

_that you and I drove off the darkest streets._

_Passing through the city lights,_

_Closure for the kids that died._

* * *

What in the world…?

My heart pounded as I stared at the messenger centaur. What in the world did the _Potenes _want with us? Had they…had they caught us? But no…we were moving on. That couldn't be it. No one saw us kiss. No one knew. Not even Karin. I couldn't hide my nervousness as I glanced at Sasuke who also seemed uneasy. He nodded curtly to the centaur, who galloped off into the distance.

I had come to visit Sasuke. It was Sunday. Our visit had been interrupted by one of the messenger centaurs – rude creatures, especially to angels – coming to tell us that we had to leave. That we had to go visit _them. _That they wanted to speak with us. Both of us.

"What…could they want with us?" I asked shakily. I had to calm down and pull myself together. I couldn't give them a reason to be suspicious. Sasuke's life was on the line. I felt his hand against my shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you."

With that, he hoisted my up onto his back and spread his wings. I held on tightly as we ascended into the air, flying through the night sky.

Sasuke must have felt or heard my heart pounding because he turned his face to mine and whispered, "Calm down." I nodded in response, my throat dry.

We arrived at the castle in which the _Potenes _lived. It was elegant and elaborate. Sasuke placed me down once we landed and walked behind me – a symbol of his servitude towards me. So many rules he had to remember for this moment, that I quite frankly didn't give a shit about. While we were here, he wasn't allowed to look me in the eye unless directed, or speak without permission. But as long as things went smoothly, we'd be in the clear.

I entered the main room, my thoughts finally cleared, and my mind confident. I had to do this, for Sasuke. I had to protect him, just as he protected me. Now it was my turn to save him.

"Hello their Sa-ku-ra. Long time no see." One of the Elder _Potenes _spoke. He was the most friendly – if you could even call it that – out of all of them.

"What do you want?" I asked bluntly.

The Elder – Pein – laughed maniacally. "Patience, dear. Why so hasty?" Sasuke knelt down behind me, and bowed politely. That scum didn't deserve that.

"You have nothing to worry, as long as you have nothing to hide. We're merely here for a routine checkup. We do this with all Angels and their owners." The younger looking one on the left, Deidara, still looked as he did when I was little. He never aged. His smile was haunting.

"Let's get this over with then. I don't want to waste any more time than necessary in this hell hole."

"Well I can see this girl still hasn't learned her manners." The blue one spoke harshly, baring his fangs. Kisame disgusted me the most. "I can teach her to show respect for her superiors…" he suggested, grinning evilly.

"That's enough." Madara said. His word was final. He was the Alpha of the _Potenes. _The best of the best. And he was Sasuke's uncle. A former angel himself. He was such a hypocrite, being able to punish the surrounding angels when he damn well knew what the torture was like. I had no respect for him.

The last of the _Potenes – _Sasori – remained silent.

"Now, come child. Allow us to run our tests." Pein said, eerily calm. Well, it wasn't like I had a choice in the matter. I stepped forward and bowed reluctantly.

"Sasuke." Madara spat harshly. Sasuke stood, eyes downcast.

"Yes, Uchiha-semapi?" I hated seeing Sasuke have to be polite to those bastards. Well then, I was just going to have to be twice as rude.

"Sit in the chair." He pointed to a metal chair with wrist and ankle cuffs. I gulped, wondering what on earth they needed that for. Sasuke complied without hesitation, but I could see fear underneath his carefully composed mask. He didn't look back at me.

"Sakura-san. Would you please sit in the chair opposite of Sasuke?" he asked patiently. I sat down, noticing that there were no cuffs on my chair. I gripped the armrest. "Now, I will ask that the two of you make eye contact, and don't look away from each other unless told to do so."

I raised my gaze to Sasuke's, not allowing any emotion to reach my eyes. He did the same. Kisame jumped down from his seat and walked over to Sasuke and me, placing Sasuke's hands and ankles in the cuffs. I breathed through my mouth to calm myself down.

"Don't look so nervous, Sakura-chan." Kisame mocked, laughing.

"Bastard." I bit out.

"So feisty." He grinned.

"Enough of this foolishness." Pein declared. "Now, Kisame. Commence the testing." Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Kisame took a tool out. Were those…pliers? What was he going to do? Calm down Sakura. You can't afford to make a mistake. Stay in control. Sasuke's eyes widened ever so slightly as Kisame took one of Sasuke's fingers.

"This will only hurt a bit." He stated before clamping the tool down On Sasuke's finger, causing his nail to rip off. Sasuke let out a piercing shriek of pain, and I could feel my breaths coming quicker.

"Sakura, why so uneasy?" Pein smiled, as if nothing was happening. Meanwhile, Sasuke writhed in agony, screaming. Shit. Sasuke…I'm so sorry.

"This has nothing to do with Sasuke. I just don't believe in violence. You already know that." I didn't look away from Sasuke as I struggled to maintain my composure.

"Yes, I suppose so." Pein sounded bored. "Say Sakura, would you please hold Sasuke's head in place? He keeps _moving around._"

Shakily, I brought my hands to Sasuke's head. I stroked his cheek with the hand that was facing away from them. I watched as tears formed in his eyes, and all I could do was just stare back at him in apathy.

"Sakura?" Madara was the one who spoke now.

"What?" I asked flatly.

Sasuke's screams began to calm down.

"Lean closer to Sasuke." He instructed. I complied. "Closer." I was inches from his face now. "Closer yet." I pressed my forehead against Sasuke's; my eyes wide open. "Perfect." I could feel Sasuke's staggered breaths fanning out across my lips. My hands gripped his hair.

"Now, Sakura. Answer me this: do you love Sasuke?" My heart skipped a beat.

"No." I replied firmly without hesitation. Good, you can do this Sakura. Remember, Sasuke's in more pain now. You have to get through this, I told myself.

"Kisame."

At the word, Kisame took another finger of Sasuke's and repeated the process from before. I flinched slightly as Sasuke's loud wailing took me off guard. I choked back a sob. Sasuke…kun…

But I remained still, unblinking.

"Are you in love with Sasuke?"

"No." I repeated, annoyed.

"Heh. You may look away." Madara said, obviously enjoying this. That sick bastard. How can he torture his own nephew like this? I shut my eyes tightly but otherwise made no movement.

"Do you enjoy watching others suffer?" I asked sarcastically.

"But of course." He replied honestly, smiling evilly. Disgusting. Then his face turned abruptly serious. "Kisame, release Sasuke from the chair."

Kisame dropped the pliers and unlocked the ankle and wrist shackles. Upon doing so, Sasuke's body slumped forwards against mine. His eyes were shut tightly, trying not to think about the pain. I held him against me and glared at Madara.

"Fix him." I commanded. He remained stoic as he spoke,

"Sakura, I would not recommend you giving out orders as such. Remember who you are dealing with –"

"I don't _care _who I am dealing with. You hurt him for no reason, now _fix him." _I snapped. Madara looked away, in an annoyed tone. He waved his hand, and Deidara got up from his chair and walked over to us. Kisame walked over to his seat silently. But he was grinning the entire time.

Deidara stood above us and took Sasuke's pained hand, healing it instantaneously. Sasuke's head rest on my shoulder as he caught his breath.

I stood, getting ready to leave.

"Where do you think you're going?" Pein asked. "We're not finished yet."

I turned to face them. "What else could there be? Do you not believe me?"

Sasori spoke for the first time. "It is difficult to tell when humans are lying. Some have impeccable skills in this area, and hath no guilt or shame. One can never be too cautious."

I swallowed. Sasuke finally stood up straight, his head bowed down in respect.

"Now that we have that cleared, Sakura this time I want _you _to sit in that chair." Madara pointed to where Sasuke was sitting. My heart skipped a beat. I saw Sasuke's fist clenching as he attempted to restrain himself from shouting.

I sat down wordlessly, although I wanted to scream out. What were they planning?

"And Sasuke, sit where Sakura was." Sasuke complied, looking me in the eyes. It's funny how just one look could calm me down, just one look could tell me everything. _It'll be alright. I'm here._

I nodded slightly, and looked up at Madara expectantly. He sat there without speaking, but Sasori hopped down from his perch and walked towards Sasuke and me.

"We will not hurt you." He assured, clasping the shackles around my wrists and ankles. Even as he spoke those words, I couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

"What will you do then?" I inquired.

He looked at me calmly as he replied, "Close your eyes."

I complied; a bit frustrated that he didn't answer my question. "Now, Sakura. We are going to ask Sasuke and you a series of questions." I nodded, not quite understanding why he had to shackle me. "If you lie, we will know. And you will pay the consequences."

I opened my eyes to see that Sasuke had been tied to his chair, although he wasn't resisting. "Did I ask you to open your eyes?" Sasori spoke calmly.

"Sorry." I muttered, closing my eyes once more.

"Now. Sasuke. The first question is for you. Has Sakura seen your Rule Book?"

"Yes." Sasuke replied curtly.

I refrained from wincing.

I heard Madara chuckling from his seat, but Sasori remained calm. "Then surely she must know that we could kill you without reason if we wanted."

I squinted my eyes shut tightly. I didn't know that.

"Yes she does." Sasuke answered simply.

I tried not to act too surprised. We couldn't mess this up. I could hear my heart pounding against my chest.

"Sakura," Madara began, "Now tell me. Tell me the rule that you're most worried about. Don't lie."

I opened my mouth to speak. What was the only other important rule that I knew?

_The current owner will forget all their memories about their Angel._

Could I say this? It might seem like I was upset to let go of Sasuke. But this was the only other rule I knew about. I hadn't seen very much in the book the other day.

"I don't remember when," I spoke, my voice quivering, "but I know that someday I am going to forget about Sasuke. Forget about this place. And I'm scared that I won't ever be able to come back again."

There was a long silence before I heard Pein speak. "If you claim to have no attachments to Sasuke, why then, are you scared of losing him?" I knew they would ask this.

"I'm not scared of losing him." I lied easily. "I'm scared of losing my memories of this place."

Another silence.

"Sakura you may open your eyes now." I did as was told.

"Well, it looks like they're telling the truth. They've passed all the tests that others haven't an –" Kisame said.

"Shut up." Deidara shot back.

I watched as Madara leapt off of his chair and landed gracefully next to me. "Sakura, dear. I'm only going to ask you once more, alright?" He placed his long fingernails against my cheek.

I looked him directly in the eye, wondering if he could hear my panicking as much as I felt it. Wondering if Sasuke was just as nervous as I was.

Before I knew it, he scraped his nails across my cheek, creating four deep gashes. I winced and yelped softly. "Do you…have romantic feelings towards Sasuke?" he looked me directly in the eyes. My eyes began to water from my stinging cheek. I glared at him and replied sternly,

"No."

And his hardened gaze quickly morphed into that fake happy smile look that he always gave. "Very well then. You two are dismissed." With that, he released me from the restraints and turned to walk back to his 'throne'.

I placed my hand to my cheek and felt blood. "Sorry about that Sakura dear." He waved off as Sasuke and I exited.

* * *

_So, this goes, out to,_

_the ones that fall in love. __And to, the girl,_

_That filled my dark. _

_So I'll hang on, and never let go._

_I dug this pain into my chest. _

* * *

Once we were far away from that hell hole, I stopped and looked at Sasuke – who had been silent since.

"Sasuke…" I took his hand. My fingers rubbed over his newly healed fingertips. He glanced at me.

"It's over now, just forget about it."

I furrowed my eyebrows in sadness. I couldn't forget what just went on. "I … I didn't want them to hurt you…" I whispered. Sasuke turned to me and wiped blood off of my cheek.

"I didn't want them to hurt _you."_

I shook my head. "This is nothing. They…" I brought his hand to my lips and kissed his fingertips. "So sorry..." I looked up at him, tears in my eyes. He had screamed so loudly. He was in such agony…

I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his chest. "I really thought I was going to lose you." I murmured. He placed a hand atop my head silently.

"We should really get away from this place." Was his reply. I nodded and pulled away, looking up at him, searching for answers. What was he thinking right now? His finger touched my wound and I flinched slightly. "He cut you deep." Sasuke mumbled. He spread his wings out and plucked a feather.

"Hey stop that!" I said. I knew it hurt for him to do that. Why was he always hurting himself for me?

"Shh. Hold still." He said quietly. I still had my feather at home. The one he first gave me. I felt the feather stroke against my cheek, and it tickled slightly. Then I felt tingles. I felt my skin healing. It was weird. I could feel each cell stitching themselves back in place, getting rid of the gash. Almost a minute later, the feather was gone. It had disintegrated in the process of healing. His finger wiped the dried blood off my cheek.

"Our wings are what holds all of our healing powers. That's why it takes us a long time to heal. Because it's all stored in the feathers." He stated.

I looked down. "Thank you."

He shrugged and turned around. "Get on my back."

I did so wordlessly, wrapping my arms around him and pressing my cheek against him. I closed my eyes. We flew through the sky quickly. It seemed to take less time to get back to Sasuke's than it did to get here in the first place. But that was just an assumption.

I climbed off his back as we reached the house.

I opened my mouth to speak but then shut it. I didn't know what to say after what just happened. What could I even say? Things weren't right. This wasn't right.

Now more than ever I felt guilty for what I was doing. To Sasuke and Naruto. It just wasn't right.

"Sasuke…maybe…"

He turned to look at me.

What I was doing was wrong. I didn't even deserve to be here. I took a deep breath.

"I know I must not have much time left with you," I began slowly. Sasuke made a move to cut me off but I raised my hand, signaling for him to let me continue, "And so maybe it's best…maybe it's best that I don't come anymore."

The words hung in the air and they sounded ugly. I didn't want this, of course. But if they were going to do routine checkups on me, then it would only cause them to hurt Sasuke more. If I wasn't even here they wouldn't have a reason to visit Sasuke.

"What will that accomplish?" I couldn't read his facial expression. He was stoic.

"The longer I stay, the more checkups they will do on us. I don't want you getting hurt again." I rushed. "And, then maybe…it won't be so bad. When the time comes." I looked down, wrapping my arms around myself.

He walked towards me, his tall figure looming over my short and delicate frame. His finger tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze. "We both know that will solve nothing."

I bit my lip.

"I can't keep doing this." I protested. "I don't belong here. I never belonged here. But I was foolish and immature and I thought…thought that I could help you. But clearly, I can't. It's useless."

He paused, as if he was contemplating telling me something. "Hime…once…once you leave it's not like I'll be free. They'll assign me to another owner."

"So does that mean when I forget you that will happen anyway?" I shot back. He shrugged,

"Most likely."

I slapped his hand away. "This sucks. There's nothing I can do about this."

He shook his head.

"I just, I just wanted to…" I buried my face in my hands. This wasn't working. Pretending to love Naruto in _that_ way. Pretending to be moving on from Sasuke. It just wasn't working. I took a step away from Sasuke, dropping my hands. "Nonetheless, I can't just sit here and wait to forget you."

He was silent, unmoving.

"Will you forget me?" I asked in a small, shy voice.

He looked my square in the eye, his face serious. "Never."

I furrowed my eyebrows. He got to remember me. He would always remember me. "Really?"

I wondered how it would feel, if the one person I'd known since I was little forgot about me. But I remembered them. And I could never see them again. He nodded solemnly.

"And you'll miss me, right?" I took a step closer to him once more.

He scoffed. "How couldn't I?"

I smiled sadly. "But really, Hime," he said, shaking his head, "we have time. You don't have to worry so much."

I laughed humorously. "Liar. You are such a bad liar."

"I don't want you to worry."

Wrapping my arms around him tightly I murmured, "I know."

* * *

_One last chance to reverse this curse,_

_you stole my heart but I had it first._

_Now I see that you've got something to prove,_

_and nothing to lose, _

_so let me tell you the truth._

* * *

Naruto sat on my bed, his eyes scanning my room. I brushed my hair in the mirror, wondering where in the world Ino was. She was supposed to be at my house 15 minutes ago to go to the annual carnival with us. She was supposedly bringing Shikamaru. Sometimes I wished I could bring Sasuke here so that he could experience something like this, but I wouldn't risk doing such a thing.

I watched as Naruto walked over to my dresser and picked up a feather.

"What's this?" he asked curiously. My eyes widened as I snatched it from his hands.

"Don't touch that!" I hissed. Sasuke's feather…I planned on using this to remember him by. Ever since I found out that I was going to forget about him, I've been writing down all my memories of him in a diary. One just for me and him. That way – maybe I'll believe myself when I do forget. And as a sort of trigger, I'll put his feather in the diary.

I wasn't entirely sure that it would work, but it couldn't hurt either.

"Sorry," I murmured, "it's just that this feather is really special to me."

Naruto nodded. "I getcha." He tugged on a strand of my hair. "You look beautiful." He commented.

I gave him a bright smile and a peck on the cheek. "Thank you."

Just then – finally – the doorbell rang.

"It's about time." I complained, grabbing my purse. I took Naruto's hand and entwined our fingers. Being with him didn't feel much different than when we were friends. But we had always been close. Always participated in Friendly Flirting, without even realizing it. So it wasn't much of a change. I could pretend that we were just friends if I wanted to. That made it easier.

We hurried down the stairs and greeted Ino at the door.

"Seriously, Ino-Pig, how long does it take to get ready?" I teased lightly.

She huffed and replied,

"If you wanna look as great as me, then I'd say at least an hour." I rolled my eyes and locked the door behind us. I was going to have a good time, because quite frankly – I needed to. I needed to get my mind off of everything that had happened within the last couple weeks.

The drive over was painful – Ino is a terrible driver. We were lucky she didn't get us a speeding ticket. The lines for almost all the rides were long, but I didn't complain because Naruto bought me a blue snow cone. I stuck my tongue out at him playfully.

"You're tongue's all blue." He chuckled, poking my nose. I smiled.

"Good."

He wrapped his arms around my waist, and it reminded me of how Sasuke used to do that. I mentally slapped myself for thinking of him when I should be focusing on Naruto and Ino.

"Hey, where's Shikamaru?" Naruto asked, his head resting on my shoulder. Ino checked her cell phone and tapped her foot impatiently.

"He was supposed to meet us here. But appar –"

"Apparently what?" I heard a voice say. I turned around as best as I could without moving Naruto's head.

"Hey, Shikamaru." I greeted politely. He waved a hand at Naruto and me in return.

"Women are so troublesome…" he murmured, his knuckles pressing against Ino's forehead. Ino smiled and leaned on her tippy toes to peck him on the lips.

"Glad you could make it, Shika." She grabbed his hand.

"Dude, I am so excited for this coaster. This one actually has _loops _unlike every other kiddie coaster in this park." I exclaimed happily. Ino nodded.

"I want to go on the carousel ride though." She stated with a childish smile. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

I giggled. "Me too."

The line moved along quicker than we expected. It was totally worth it too. I hadn't been on a good coaster in a while. And I was in love with big rides. It was just so exciting. I loved hearing everyone scream while I just laugh.

Once we got off Ino was practically screaming about how it messed up her hair. But then Shikamaru gave her a noogie and she jumped on his back. While they were displaying outward PDA, Naruto and I just sat and laughed quietly. He held my hand loosely as we walked side by side. I saw this one little plushie at a game stand and I stared at it for a good minute or so before finally looking away. It was a little tiger cub and it was adorable. I wanted it so badly. But it would be too cliché to ask Naruto to win it for me.

We got to the carousel relatively quickly, and thankfully there wasn't a long line for that. Even the little kids were off on other rides. That meant we might get to ride a few times in a row. I tightened my grip in Naruto's hand and ran up to the ride, handing the man our tickets.

He allowed me to drag him onto the ride. I jumped on a horse on the second level with Naruto following behind me, as Ino and Shikamaru stayed on the first level. Naruto stood next to me and buckled me on the horse, bending down to kiss my cheek. Something to which I admittedly blushed at. Then, his hand wrapped around the pole in front of us as he slid in the seat with me. I felt his warm chest pressed against my back, allowing me to lean against him.

"Hey, only one per seat." I murmured, snuggling into his chest. His head rest on my shoulder once more.

"Yeah? What are you gunna do to stop me?" he asked. I smiled and turned to look at him.

"Nothing at all." I whispered.

And for the first time, I didn't see Sasuke when I looked at him. I didn't see anyone else but him. And I wanted to thank him for always being there for me. Even if I wasn't being there for him like I should be. And even if I still only thought of him as my best friend. But I wanted to make him happy too. So I placed my hand against his cheek and pressed our lips together.

We hadn't really kissed since the movies. Only a few pecks here and there, but nothing like this. It wasn't a rough kiss though. Not out of control or anything. It was sweet and chaste. But it held meaning. I pulled away for breath and pressed our noses together. I smiled and kissed him again, enjoying this newfound feeling I was having. I felt a soft breeze as the ride began. Naruto's hands wound around my waist, his hand against my stomach. I placed my hands atop his, as this time he pulled away. My head rest against him like a pillow and I closed my eyes, content with the moment.

We had only been going out for a couple weeks now, as it was the middle of spring break. Wednesday night. We had off until next Tuesday, so it still gave me a lot of time to do whatever I wanted.

We were silent as the ride went on, the soft music playing in the background. But we were both alright with the silence.

Once we went around twice, we decided to get off the ride.

"We're gunna go around another time, alright?" Ino said. I nodded,

"Alright. Meet us by the Cotton Candy Machine."

I walked off the ride with Naruto, watching as we passed by the tiger cub once more. Naruto eyed me suspiciously and stopped.

"Let's play a game." He suggested, pushing me towards the stand.

"Wha – no! But…" I began to stutter which made Naruto chuckle.

"We have time. C'mon, let's see what you're made of."

I knew I wasn't made of much. I always sucked at these boardwalk games. This particular one was the one where you had to hit the bottles with a baseball and knock 'em down. The one where everyone swears that they glue the bottles together because they're impossible to hit.

Naruto paid the man for two games. I picked up the baseball with a determined look on my face. I could do this. I held the ball tightly and with all my might I threw it.

I missed. Terribly.

Naruto was refraining from laughing. I shot him a look and he merely shrugged, smiling innocently.

"Hey, I still have two balls left." I reminded him.

"That's what _he _said." I punched his shoulder lightly. Too corny.

Alright Sakura, time for round two. You can do this! Once again I threw the ball… but no luck. I sighed. Okay, last try. I threw the ball for the third time. This time, it hit the two top bottles, knocking them off. I smiled brightly.

"I did it!" Shannaro, go Sakura!

"You win a small prize." The man said, smiling slightly. I looked at the tiger cub. Shit, that was a large. I'd have to knock all of them down to win that. Figures. But there was this cute little red fox that I picked out. The man handed me the prize and I turned to Naruto.

"Here's your present." I smiled and hid the fox in Naruto's shirt with the head poking out. He kissed my cheek.

"Thank you." I stepped aside to watch him _pwn_ me.

Naruto pulled back his arm.

"If you try to do bad to make me feel better, I'll kill you." He smiled, his teeth shining brightly as he threw the ball, knocking four of the six bottles down. The two remaining bottles were on opposite sides. And with his remaining two balls, he hit each of them, successfully knocking down all of the bottles. Che, figures.

"Congratulations," the man said with a rehearsed smile, "You win a large."

Naruto immediately pointed to the tiger cub, causing my eyes to widen. How the heck …?

He turned to me with a soft smile and pressed the cub's nose against my cheek, as if it were kissing me.

"Here's your present." He said. I jumped and wrapped my arms around him tightly, kissing his cheek.

"Thank you so much."

The rest of the night was practically me flaunting off my tiger cub to Ino – who demanded that Shikamaru win her something as well. We went on a few other rides and ate cotton candy and it was the best time I'd had in a while.

And not until I got home and crawled into bed, clutching my tiger tightly, did I once think about Sasuke.

* * *

**Sneak Peak of Chapter Seven – Miserable at Best**

They were surrounding us quicker than I could even imagine. What in the hell did they want with us? I felt Sasuke pulling me along, gripping my hand tightly. Was he scared, like me?

"Sasuke." He ignored me, still pulling me along. The centaurs were catching up with us, they were fast. With hooks in their hands, we couldn't bear to waste a moment to slow down. His wings were injured badly, I could see it. How much easier it would have been if we could just fly away. Those damn bastards shot a bow at his wing. He was in pain, I knew. But he kept going, for me.

"Sasuke!" I tried again, louder this time.

"What?" he asked in an urgent and annoyed tone.

"They're going to catch up to us in a matter of time. They're gaining on us already!" He looked behind us and cursed under his breath.

"How the hell did they catch us?"

"How do you know they're after us for that reason?" I shot back, running out of breath. And then it hit me. Our escape. We could get away. I just had to…

I didn't wait for him to respond.

"Sasuke."

He sighed heavily. "What?" Closer and closer they came. Running and running, like wild beasts.

"Let me transport you with me." Now this was a foolish idea. I had no idea if Sasuke could even survive in my world. I had no idea how it would work, but it was the only thing we had at the moment. He hesitated for a moment before tightening his grip around my wrist.

"Fine. Go."

And we disappeared into the darkness.

**A/N – Yeah, I'm not sure how many more chapters this story will be. Maybe like another four more? Anyhow, I'm just going to say that it won't be a happy ending for everyone. Because that wouldn't be realistic, now would it?**

**RxR Please, I work really hard on this for you guys 3**


	7. Miserable at Best

**Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Fallen Feathers

* * *

**.::Chapter Seven – Miserable at Best::.**

_Let's not pretend like you're alone tonight (I know he's there and),_

_you're probably hanging out and making eyes (while across the room he stares)._

_I bet he gets the nerve to walk the floor,_

_and ask my girl to dance._

_She'll say yes._

* * *

I.

Love.

You.

Those three simple words.

He had said them to me.

Naruto did.

And when he did, I completely blanked. I didn't know what to _say _to that.

Sure, I had said them to him so many times. But this wasn't the 'I'm-one-of-your-best-friends-so-I'm-going-to-tell-you-that-I-love-you-cause-I-do-everyday' I love you's. No not at all.

This was the 'I'm-_in-_love-with-you' I love you.

And I had no idea what to say back to him. I could always say that I loved him too but…I knew better. My 'I'm-_in-_love-with-you' I love you was reserved for Sasuke.

And he was with somebody else.

So I decided to smile and kiss him and pretend it was all okay when really it wasn't. It made me realize that I allowed things to go too far. Naruto wasn't supposed to fall in love with me. He was supposed to be my best friend. Just like I wasn't supposed to fall in love with Sasuke.

So I decided that eventually, I would have to tell Naruto the truth. But not yet. I didn't want to ruin things with him yet. I wasn't ready to lose him.

But I kept thinking about it, replaying the moment over and over in my head until I just couldn't take it anymore. He meant it. He really did love me.

I glanced at my tiger cub sitting neatly on my bed and sighed. What was I to do? I took out my diary and continued writing memories of Sasuke and I. it was the only thing I had left. I tried writing every day, since I didn't know how close or far the date that I would forget him would be. And I kept it on top of my night table. On the cover it said 'read me'. I hope I would listen to myself.

It was Friday. I hadn't visited Sasuke since the incident with the _Potenes_. Quite frankly, I was worried. I didn't know what they'd do if they found out about us. So I figured if I stayed away, it would be for the best. But I decided that putting off the inevitable would be sheer stupidity. I just couldn't leave him without warning like that. Although I'm sure he's hardly noticed my absence. What, with Karin around to entertain him and all. He's not so lonely anymore.

For a second, I wondered if they ever had sex. I shuddered, deciding that no, I did _not _want to know.

I knew that I was just a jealous old fart that would never get over my stupid feelings, but quite frankly, I didn't give two shits.

I decided that I'd have to visit Sasuke sooner or later, and sooner would be better. I didn't really pay attention much to what I looked like, and decided to go as is.

Sasuke wasn't in his house.

I could tell as soon as I walked in.

But Karin was.

"Oh." I said when I saw her walk into the living room. Her eyes narrowed.

"Where's Sasuke?" I asked, feeling awkward.

"Really, you don't know where he is?"

Were her eyes red? Was she…was she crying?

I shook my head. "No, if I did, I wouldn't have asked. Now where is he?"

"Just because you're his owner doesn't mean that I have to listen to you." She crossed her arms defiantly. "And you have some nerve showing up here after the trouble you've caused for him. They could kill him. And it's all your damn fault you jealous bitch."

I glared at her.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I put my hands on my hips.

"I'm talking about the fact that you kissed him. You broke the promise and formed a bond with him that wasn't allowed. And they know, you shit. They fucking know."

My eyes widened. No, they couldn't. How the _hell _did they know? I'd been so careful. And, it didn't even matter anymore cause we weren't even together. It didn't matter. My eyes began to water.

"They…took him away…didn't they?" I gasped, barely able to form words.

"I don't know! I came here and he wasn't here. He isn't anywhere." She snapped.

"But how do you know about this?" I asked frantically.

She bit her lip and looked away guiltily for a moment. Then, as if in a defensive manner she blurted: "He told me!" shouting it out. I swallowed. He…told her? What else did he tell her about me?

I backed away. "Take me to them. Please."

She scoffed. "Why would I help you?"

My voice dripped with acid. "Because I have to help him. And if you really care about him like you should, you'd want me to save him."

She looked at me for a moment then finally agreed reluctantly.

"Fine."

I climbed on her back quickly, feeling awkward but determined. I had to save Sasuke.

Flying with her was much different than Sasuke. She sped quickly, in a hurry. I was used to more leisurely flying. I was beginning to get nauseous when we finally arrived. She dropped my roughly on the ground.

"You better not let him die." She warned before flying off again.

"I won't…" I whispered to myself.

I quickly got up off of the ground and ran into the castle.

I didn't know where they'd be, but I had to find them somewhere.

The guards didn't even bother trying to stop me; they all knew who I was anyway.

I ran as fast as I could, trying to remember where the dungeon was from the last time they brought be down there.

It took a good ten minutes to find it, with all that running around. The castle was freaking huge. But eventually I did find it. I remember them telling me that this is what will happen to me if I ever went against them. I shuddered as I walked past the cells of emancipated angels and humans alike.

I searched quickly for Sasuke, but didn't find him.

Halls and halls of angels, sticking their bony hands through the cell bars and reaching out to me…I ran faster and faster trying to get away from them screaming and dying for me to help them and –

"Sakura?"

A weak voice. His voice. I turned to my right and found Sasuke curled up in a ball.

"Sasuke!" I gasped. I ran to the bars and gripped them tightly with both of my hands.

He looked at me with a mixture of expressions, none of them I liked.

"I'm gunna get you out of here." I stood and scanned my eyes around. They had to keep the keys somewhere. Screw it. I took a bobby pin from my hair and jammed it in the lock.

I was never as good at this as Ino was, but she'd taught me how to do this. I just wondered if locks in this world were the same.

We were running.

Somehow, I'd managed to get him out of there. Somehow, the lock opened. As if by fate or some crazy shit like that.

Once we got out of the castle Sasuke pulled my arm and was about to hoist me up on his back when something hit him.

He stumbled but I kept him balanced as we ran. I looked back.

We were being followed.

By centaurs. Ten of them by the looks of it were after us. And they had arrows.

And one of them had hit Sasuke.

God damnit.

"Are you okay?" I frantically asked.

"Just keep running." Was his only reply.

"But Sasuke…"

They were surrounding us quicker than I could even imagine. What in the hell did they want with us? Couldn't they just let us freaking get away? I felt Sasuke pulling me along, gripping my hand tightly. Was he just as scared as me?

"Sasuke." He ignored me, still pulling me along. The centaurs were catching up with us, they were fast. With hooks in their hands, we couldn't bear to waste a moment to slow down. His wing was injured badly, I could see it. How much easier it would have been if we could just fly away. Those damn bastards shot a bow at his wing on purpose. He was in pain, I knew. But he kept going, for me.

"Sasuke!" I tried again, louder this time.

"What?" he asked in an urgent and annoyed tone.

"They're going to catch up to us in a matter of time. They're gaining on us already!" He looked behind us and cursed under his breath.

"How the hell did they catch us?"

"How do you know they're after us for that reason?" I shot back, running out of breath. And then it hit me. Our escape. We could get away. I just had to…

I didn't wait for him to respond.

"Sasuke."

He sighed heavily. "What?" Closer and closer they came. Running and running, like wild beasts.

"Let me transport you with me." Now this was a foolish idea. I had no idea if Sasuke could even survive in my world. I had no idea how it would work, but it was the only thing we had at the moment. He hesitated for a moment before tightening his grip around my wrist.

"Fine. Go."

And we disappeared into the darkness.

* * *

_You're all that I'd hoped to find,_

_in every single way._

_And everything I would give,_

_is everything you couldn't take._

_'Cause nothign feels like home, you're a thousand miles away._

* * *

My room was considerably colder compared to the warmth of Sasuke's world. I guessed that my parents were blasting the AC. What a waste – considering they were never home. I shivered involuntarily and turned to Sasuke, who seemed to have no difficulty breathing, other than the fact that he was panting from running. I sighed in relief, slumping onto my bed. Then, sitting upright once more, I motioned for Sasuke to sit beside me, which he did without a word.

I looked at his mangled wing. They really did a number on him. Yet…he looked fine. He was acting fine. "How…how's your wing?" I inquired attentively.

"Painful…" he responded, closing his eyes.

I scrunched my eyebrows, wishing I could help. Wishing I could do something to relieve the pain, like he always did for me. "I'm sorry…" I found myself murmuring softly.

He peeked through one eye to look at me for a moment.

"I'll go get something to clean that up with." I hurriedly replied, standing up. "Be right back."

And I rushed into my bathroom and got out a washcloth, wetting it with warm water. Did peroxide work on angels? I doubted it. Whatever. I'll just clean it and wrap it up.

As quick as I could, I rushed back to the bedroom where Sasuke had not moved an inch. How the hell would I hide him when my parents got home? I sat down next to him, cross legged. I took the washcloth and slowly dabbed at the wound, which had thankfully stopped bleeding. He flinched lightly.

"Sorry." I repeated.

"Don't be. It's not like this was your fault." He eyes scanned my room as I felt a pang of guiltiness. This _was _my fault, as much as he denied it. If I never got him into this mess in the first place, we wouldn't have anything to worry about. I had promised him that I wouldn't let them hurt him. And here they were, hurting him. I lied. I couldn't keep my promise. What the hell kind of Owner was I?

Sasuke's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, "So this is what it looks like."

He was referring to my disheveled typical teenage room. Two walls were purple while the other two were teal. Adorning them were posters of bands and famous celebrities everywhere. Posters of Johnny Depp and Chris Drew were everywhere. Above my bed, there were pictures of my friends and me from when I was younger up until the most recent one being of Ino, Shikamaru, Naruto and myself at the carnival the other day. I had a cluttered bookshelf filled to the brim and a vanity set that matched my dresser. Across from my bed hung on my wall was a large flat screen TV with a PS3 underneath it. And my laptop rest on my night table along with my diary.

At this moment, looking around my room with Sasuke, I realized that I had every materialistic thing I could ever want.

But no material thing could compare to what I really wanted. My eyes landed on Sasuke.

I wrapped an ace bandage around his wing, attempting to be gentle in the process. He was being extremely patient with me. I'm sure I wasn't the best at this.

But he didn't complain one bit.

Once I was finished, I tossed the dirty washcloth in the hamper.

"Thanks." I heard him say. Then his eyes glanced over to my dresser. Or, more specifically, the feather on my dresser. His feather. He stood, walking towards it as if to inspect it closer. "You kept it."

I blushed, nodding and walking towards him. "When I was little, after the first time I met you, I had no idea how to see you again. I needed to keep something to prove that you existed. To prove I wasn't crazy. I needed something to remember you by."

"Remember me." he repeated, speaking slowly.

"Yes," I rushed, feeling embarrassed, "and it just sorta became a keepsake, ya know? I couldn't bring myself to use it. But now, I have yet another reason to not use it." I brushed the feathers gently for a moment, and then met his gaze.

"When I forget you, don't think I don't plan on not at least trying to stop it." I looked down. "I figure that once I do forget, that the feather can elicit some sort of memory from within. Because even though on the surface, I forget, the memory can't vanish altogether." I turned and walked towards my night table, fully aware of his eyes watching my every movement. I picked up my diary and walked back over to him, my heart pounding against my chest. I had a few personal things in here. About when I first realized I liked him, then loved him. But I trusted Sasuke completely. That's what's so great about truly loving someone. You can trust them with everything you have and know they will still accept you.

"I've been writing down our memories and stuff. Cause, I wouldn't be able to make this up. So if I read it once I forget I'm bound to remember _something." _I handed the book to him, biting my lip. He gently took it and began flipping through the pages – which were in chronological order. Flipping through our memories…

"You remember everything?" he asked quietly. I plopped down on my bed, watching as he soon followed.

"Of course not." I replied, my fingers tracing patterns in my comforter. "But I remember most of it. I mean, Sasuke you've always been a huge part of my life. Whether you knew it or not." My tone was serious and shy at the same time. Admitting these things to him – he must think it was easy – but it wasn't. He smiled briefly as he read a few pages. Then he looked at me, the smile vanished.

"Even if you do remember me, how will you find me?"

I gave him a confused look, allowing him to elaborate. "Once you…forget me, they'll assign me a new owner – as I've told you – and with that new owner, I'll probably have to move in with them. I'd have to leave that house. So, how will you find me?" he leaned closer to me, curious.

I brushed his bangs out of his face, my fingers running through his locks then cupping his cheek. "I will find you." I vowed.

_Knock knock._

"Shit." I mumbled. "Wait here, I'll be back." I hopped off the bed and flew down the staircase, answering the door in record time. But nothing could have prepared me for who was there.

"Mom?" I exclaimed, caught off guard.

My mother smiled brightly. "Hi sweetie! I'm sorry I didn't call, I figured you'd be home. And I forgot my keys." She grinned as I stepped aside to allow her inside. "So, how are you?"

I swallowed. "Uh, great. I was just studying."

"You don't always have to work so hard dear, take a break once in a while. You're only a teenager once." She dropped her purse and headed toward the kitchen for a drink. I followed her.

"So uh, not that I'm not _thrilled _to see you, but uh, why are you home so early?" I rushed.

"My job gave me the rest of the weekend off. Isn't that great? Now we have a lot of time to spend together!"

"Wow mom, that's great…" I managed.

Why is it that – now of all times – they decide to give my mother off? Why did they give her off when I had a teenage angel-boy from another universe hiding out in my room?

I turned around and sighed. "Hold on mom, I'll be back down in a few."

I walked out of the kitchen and trudged up the stairs. I was going to have to tell my mother about Sasuke. She'd find out either way, and it's best I told her the truth. Plus, she already knew about Sasuke. When I had that conversation with her about him a while ago. She had given me the advice to make up with Sasuke. She had seen how much I cared for him. So I'm sure she'd understand.

Sasuke was sitting on my bed, still reading the diary when I returned. How many times have I dreamed for him to be in my room with me like this? Too many, I decided.

And suddenly I found myself thinking something terribly selfish.

Sasuke didn't _have _to go back. He could stay with me forever. He seemed to be doing fine in my world. I could keep him here and we could be together and I'd never have to forget about him.

But he would never agree to this. Because of Karin. And I knew it.

"Sasuke."

He looked up and put the book aside. "I must say," he began, a smile playing at the corner of his lips, "You recall certain things with precision."

I blushed and crossed my arms. "Never mind that. We have a problem."

He arched an eyebrow. "You mean, other than the fact that the entire _Potenes_ is after us?"

I rolled my eyes. "That doesn't even matter. They can't come here."

He shrugged. "My mother. She's home from work. Now of all times, they decided to give her the rest of the weekend off."

I bit my nail.

"So I was thinking," I continued without waiting for a reply, "that we could tell my mom about you. I think she'd take it well."

"Really? You think so?" he asked, leaning back on his arms. I nodded. "I'll explain the situation to her…with editing…and hopefully she will understand."

"It's up to you." He stated, indifferent.

I grabbed his hand, pulling him up.

"Let's go." I pulled him out of my room and down the stairs, watching as he admired the rest of my house. I started to walk down the stairs.

"Mom?" I called out.

"Yeah?"

She was still in the kitchen.

"Wait here." I said once we reached the bottom step. He nodded and I squeezed his hand a final time before letting go and walking to the kitchen. If my heart was pounding before, it couldn't compare to what was happening now.

"Mom, I have to talk to you about something." I said once I reached the kitchen. My mother put the magazine she was reading down and looked at me, smiling.

"Anything sweetie."

But once she saw my serious expression her smile vanished. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "I'm fine. But…I have a …situation…"

She waited for me to continue.

"Do you remember that friend I was talking to you about a while ago? The one I got into a fight with?"

"Naruto?" she asked. I shook my head.

"The other one."

"That boy you showed me the picture of?" she asked thoughtfully. I nodded,

"Sasuke."

"Oh right, Sasuke. Yes dear, what about him?"

I gulped.

"Well, he's sorta hurt. And he's in the other room. But I cleaned him up, so he should be fine for now."

My mother froze. "Oh dear why didn't you say so! You should have introduced me and oh my, you know how I don't like boys in the house when we're not around and is he alright and…"

I guess I knew where I got my rambling from.

"Yes, I know mom but he was hurt. And I didn't know what else to do. He's fine for now. But mom, there's something you need to know about Sasuke…" I said slowly.

"What is it dear?" she asked, standing. She was ready to walk into the living room where Sasuke was waiting, but I blocked the way.

"You have to promise not to freak."

She sidestepped around me.

"Sakura, now isn't the time to be doing this, he's waiting in the other room and we're being very rude not going out and talking to hi –"

"Mom. Promise." I stressed. She exhaled loudly.

"Fine, I promise now let me see him."

I stepped away and allowed my mother to walk through the kitchen doorway and freeze.

"Sakura?" she asked as I followed her into the living room. I walked next to Sasuke and turned to face her.

"Mom, this is Sasuke. Sasuke, this is my mother."

"What…what are those things on his back?" my mother said, more curious than scared. I guess I took after her when it came to that too.

I took a deep breath.

"There's something you should know about Sasuke mom."

"Oh really?" she asked, unable to take her eyes away from his wings. I looked up at Sasuke – who seemed to be enjoying this. He was smirking, but trying to hide his smirk.

"Mom," I said trying to keep my composure,

" Sasuke is an angel."

* * *

**Sneak Peak of Chapter Eight – We've Got a Big Mess on Our Hands**

My eyes were peeled back, wide like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Why do you think the _Potenes _don't want humans and angels to fall in love. Why do you think they prohibit it? They know what can happen. They're _scared._" Karin spat angrily at me.

I stood at her, stupefied. Letting it all sink in. "How…do you know this?" I asked weakly.

She glared. "Every angel knows it. It's in the Rule Book." She scoffed. "But I'm sure Sasuke never told you that. Do you really think he wants to be with you if he never even told you that it was an option?" she sneered.

* * *

**A/N – I actually had dream about this chapter. About them running from all the centaurs and stuff. Haha, enjoy :P Review Please! I guess this is kinda a cliffy but not really haha. The song is supposed to be Naruto's feelings towards Sasuke. But he doesn't know about Sasuke. Yet.**


	8. We've Got a Big Mess on Our Hands

**Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto.**

**A/N - I just want to take some time to once again thank all of my reviewiers. You make me smile (: Also, I want to thank LEGNA for reviewing with an awesome song link that reminded her of Fallen Feathers. Link to the song is in my profile. I loved it! I also really want to thank the people who have reviewed every chapter, I have something special planned for you guys once the story is over. Finally, I want to thank somanycrushes21 who gave me like a million chapter title songs to pick from. You really helped me out :D**

* * *

Fallen Feathers

* * *

**.::Chapter Eight – We've Got a Big Mess on Our Hands::.**

_I've got that lefty curse, _

_where everything I do is flipped and awkwardly reversed._

_I always put myself, _

_in destructive situations, I need oxygen._

_To be exposed where no one goes and no one's been._

* * *

"A what?" my mother explained, at a loss for words. She casually took a step closer to him, scrutinizing.

"An angel."

"Oh, well yes, I'm sure he's a good kid and everything…" she murmured.

I giggled.

"No I mean he's a real angel."

Never did I think my mother's reaction would be this amusing. Sasuke seemed to agree for he was snickering to himself.

Suddenly her eyes widened as if everything clicked into place.

"An angel!" she gasped.

I nodded.

She moved closer and poked his uninjured wing.

"I can't believe it…" she whispered.

"I don't live in heaven." Sasuke qualified, causing my mother to look up at him and blush.

"Oh my, I'm sorry for acting like that." She fixed her hair. "I'm Sakura's mother. Nice...er…to meet you. I've heard good things about you."

He looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" I smiled sheepishly.

Then he smiled, "Nice to meet you too."

I was surprised but happy about how well my mother was taking things. If it were my father though, this would have been a completely different story.

"Sakura you said he was injured?"

"Yeah he hurt his wing. But I wrapped it up."

She nodded. "I suppose that's all we can do for now…we can't really bring you to a hospital or anything." She laughed lightly.

"Well you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like…"

I could tell she was curious.

"Sasuke lives on another planet mom. And ever since I was little, I've been able to visit him. I don't know how or why, but I can teleport to see him. And their government over there, they don't like the fact that I'm able to do that, so they're kinda mad at us." I edited nicely. "So I think Sasuke should stay here for a bit, until we can sort things out."

My mother nodded attempting to digest this information, "Of course. As long as your father doesn't come home, we'll be fine." She still kept her eyes glued to his wings as if in disbelief.

"Thank you mom."

"But where will he sleep…?" she pondered aloud.

"He can sleep in my room." I quickly stated. "It's the safest place, in case dad does come home."

She gave me a look.

"Mom, you can trust me. I promise, it's not like that."

"Fine, but if I see something happen he's moving to another room." She gave in.

I jumped up and hugged my mother. "I love you." I smiled.

Sasuke smiled too and also thanked her.

"Are you two hungry?" she asked.

We both nodded simultaneously.

"Well then, I'm going to cook something good. Being that I actually have time to do something for once." She smiled and disappeared into the kitchen.

I grinned brightly. "I'm so glad she took it well! I told you my mom was the best."

He chuckled softly, "So you did."

I brought him back up to my room with me. "You look like her." He stated on the way up.

"Do I really?"

I never really thought that I looked like my parents but I was never good at telling that kind of stuff anyway.

He nodded and sat back down on my bed with me.

"I am really curious as to how the _Potenes_ even found out about us in the first place." I murmured.

Sasuke nodded. "It was only those two times. And we had been completely alone both times. So, I'm really at a loss."

It was almost amusing how casually we were talking about our previous kisses. But it was true, who had seen us?

"How long do you think we can stay here?" I wondered aloud.

"Not too long…Karin might worry."

I nodded, all businesslike. "Perhaps I should go back and tell her. Warn her too, they might be after her for possible information."

Sasuke looked at me worriedly.

"I doubt they'll hurt her though." I amended quickly. "What's her owner like?"

He shrugged. "She's nice. Like you are. That's why Karin likes you."

I opened my mouth to protest because Karin certainly did not like me but my mother called us down for dinner.

I smiled and hopped off the bed, deciding that it wasn't worth it to argue.

"Let's go."

* * *

_Inside a box, cut out the top,_

_to let some light shine in,_

_to remind me what I've done and where I've been. _

_When it all comes crashing..._

* * *

Thankfully, my father wasn't home. It would be weird lying to him, because I doubted that he would understand Sasuke like how my mother did. It was probably just a father thing. And probably because Sasuke was a boy. And we're both teenagers. Why does everything have to relate to that? Irrelevant.

Anyway, I had a good time eating dinner with my mom and Sasuke. They got along well – mostly because Sasuke was extremely polite. So formal. It was funny, but after a bit he started to loosen up once he realized that my mom didn't care about formalities. Probably where I got it from.

Once we finished, Sasuke helped me clean up (something my mom appreciated. Score one, Sakura!) and then we went back upstairs to my bedroom. In the couple of hours that my mom has known Sasuke, she became more comfortable with the idea of him sleeping with me tonight. She knew Sasuke wasn't the type of boy to try and pull a move like that.

I looked at the clock. 7:24 PM.

"Maybe I should go now." I began, thinking aloud. "And just let Karin know that you'll be here for a few days. Let her know we're alright."

Sasuke looked up at me, sitting down on the bed. "I'm not coming?"

I shook my head. "If the _Potenes _do catch me, it'll be easy for me to teleport back home. It'll be harder to escape if you're with me."

Kneeling down, I placed my hands against his cheek. "I know you want to see her, but until this blows over, it's your safety that is my primary concern. I can't risk it. I already put you in enough danger, and for that I'm sorry."

Sasuke averted his gaze. "_You_ didn't do anything. It was both of us."

I sighed. "Nonetheless, I will fix this. Now, if my father comes home, just hide. Go in the closet or something. Only open the door for my mother. If she asks, tell her I'm in the shower. I'll be back as soon as I can, alright?" I stood again, dropping my hands at my side.

"What will I do in the meantime?" he pondered.

I shrugged. "Whatever you want. Watch TV, play video games, go on the computer, read…whatever. Just don't leave the room." I bent down and kissed his forehead.

Everything started to fade before I heard his reply. I couldn't hear it well, being that I was in the midst of teleporting. But I could've sworn I heard him say,

"Don't leave me, Sakura…"

I didn't even hear the _hime. _Maybe he didn't say it. Or maybe I was going crazy.

Sasuke's house was silent. Where the hell was I supposed to find Karin at? I cursed, realizing that I should have asked where Karin lived. OR at least where her owner liv–

"What are you doing here?"

I whipped around, spinning on my heels.

"Karin?" my voice squeaked. I cleared my throat. "I could ask you the same question."

She sneered. "Where's Sasuke?"

"That's what I came here to tell you. He's with me…somewhere safe." Did she know I could teleport? I had no idea…

"Where is he?" her eyes narrowed. Oh yeah, she definitely liked me.

"Look, as you may know, the _Potenes _are after us now. And until I clear everything up, I'm keeping Sasuke with me."

"In your world? You brought him to your world?"

My mouth hung open in shock. Sasuke told her? How much else did he tell her for Kami's sake.

I grinded my teeth. "Yes. In my world. He's fine. They hurt his wing, but it's all bandaged up."

Her anger vanished. "They hurt him? I told them not to…" she trailed off.

Now it was my turn to narrow my eyes.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

She suddenly stopped all movement. I walked towards her accusingly.

"What did you do?"

She didn't reply at first. I was about to open my mouth when she finally answered.

"They weren't supposed to hurt _him. _Fuck. But you know what, never mind. He'll live. I suggest you turn yourself in now because it's only a matter of time before they catch you. Once the _Potenes _know something, there's no stopping them."

I crossed my arms. "How did they even find out to begin with?"

She smiled evilly. "You know, Sasuke and I weren't together when I saw it…but he knew me. And I was just an innocent witness…" she looked at her nails casually.

"What did you see?" I demanded.

Her gaze abruptly hardened and her eyes locked with mine. "I saw you sucking face with my boyfriend is what I saw, you damn slut."

"You _told _them? Newsflash, if you just wanted to get me out of the picture you should have thought about another way of doing it. Both the angel and the owner get punished for stuff like that. You of all people should know that." I hissed.

"I do know that." She insisted. "That's why I told them that you forced yourself on him. That you ordered him to kiss you."

I flashed back to the first time I kissed him.

"_Kiss me Sasuke." My eyes were serious and my heart was beating right out of my chest. He looked bewildered. As if he didn't know how to react to that. I knew he was having internal conflict. He had to obey me yet he wasn't allowed to love me._

"_Sakura-hime…" his voice was sad. But I was selfish._

"_Sasuke I told you to kiss me!" he seemed so upset and I didn't care. I just wanted him to kiss me. (selfishselfishselfish)_

_Sasuke sighed heavily and leaned down, pressing his lips to mine softly._

"What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" she interrupted my thoughts.

I glared. "When Sasuke finds out…"

She laughed. "Sasuke's not going to believe you! He thinks I like you. Tch. As if. He's so gullible sometimes, but I'll teach him…after all, I'm going to get to spend the rest of my life with him..."

"You're crazy."

"…And we're going to live happily ever after, and make love all the time. Too bad you can't. Don't you wish you could be with him? I know you do."

"I could be with him if I wanted to. As if I care about what the _Potenes _think."

"You think you know everything don't you. But you don't have a clue. There's so much shit in the Rule Book that you haven't seen. That Sasuke doesn't even _want _you to see. Because he doesn't trust you."

"That's not true!" I protested. That wasn't why…he did trust me…

"For example, do you even know why the romantic aspect of the bond is prohibited? Do you even _know?"_

I opened my mouth to reply, but she continued speaking.

"Do you even know that if a human owner bonds with their angel, unites with them, that the angel will become human with them?"

"Bonds? I thought we were already bonded…" I murmured.

"Sex. Sex. It all amounts to sex. If a human screws their angel and they fuck, the angel can become a human."

My eyes were peeled back, wide like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Why do you think the _Potenes _don't want humans and angels to fall in love. Why do you think they prohibit it? They know what can happen. They're _scared._" Karin spat angrily at me.

I stood at her, stupefied. Letting it all sink in. "How…do you know this?" I asked weakly.

She glared. "Every angel knows it. It's in the Rule Book." She scoffed. "But I'm sure Sasuke never told you that. Do you really think he wants to be with you if he never even told you that it was an option?" she sneered.

I ignored her comment about Sasuke. "But…it can't be that easy. Having sex. Then you magically turn human. I would have known…" I trailed off blankly.

"It _isn't_ that easy. You humans take forever to form a bond, to fall in love. With angels, it's instantaneous. We know right away if we love someone. That's why the bond is so strong for us. We feel more than you do."

"Why are you even telling me this?" I asked, strangely calm. It didn't quite register in my mind yet.

She crossed her arms. "Because it's not like it makes a difference anymore. The _Potenes _are after you. Sasuke will never believe you. I will be a witness, saying that he's innocent. That you forced yourself onto him. Then me and him will live happily without any interference from you."

"They won't be able to catch me. They can't control my powers. They can't –"

"That's what _you _think."

I froze. "What?"

"They know more than you think." She stared at me, impassively as my heart pounded heavily. She spotted my fear, because a wide smirk formed.

I clenched my fists. "Do you really think Sasuke will want to be with you once he figures out that you lied? He cares about me. And if you do something to hurt me, he won't forgive you. You even said yourself that the bond is strong."

"I don't have to worry. I have plenty of time to help him forget you. Besides, he may care about you, but he loves me."

I felt my throat clench up as I heard her murmur those words in an acid tone.

"…liar…" I managed to choke.

"He told me that he loves me." she leaned in closer, pointing to herself.

I pushed her back. "I don't have to listen to this bullshit. I just came here to warn you about Sasuke. And I did that." I grabbed my purse, but Karin got it before I did.

"You're not going anywhere. They're on their way, you know. They're going to capture you. And drain you of your powers. You see – little did you know – they've been studying you for all these years. They've taken DNA samples right from beneath your nose. They've gone to Sasuke's, they've done more things than you can even comprehend. They know exactly how your powers work. Better than you yourself know. And they know how to stop them from working."

That's when I snapped.

I pounced on her, sending her flying backwards against the wall.

"You're a liar! You don't know anything!" I tried to grab my purse but she bit my hand.

"Ow! You _bitch!" _I shrieked, kicking her in the stomach. She grabbed onto my foot and swung me around, causing me to fall on the floor. Swiftly, she snatched my hair and pulled me onto the ground, hovering over me.

"Sooner or later, you're going to have to realize that you're relationship with Sasuke can never be what I have with him."

Once again, I ignored her banter on Sasuke. "Give me one good reason why the _Potenes _would trust you with all this information." I demanded, momentarily pausing in my struggle to catch my breath. She smiled.

"That's easy. Madara is Sasuke's uncle. He hates you just as much as I do. He'd much rather see Sasuke with me than you." She tugged on my hair, causing me to gasp.

I knew this would be a low blow, but I had no other way of escaping. I reached for Karin's wings and pulled out a clump of feathers. She screamed an earsplitting scream, letting go of my hair and my purse.

I wasted no time seizing my purse and disappearing before she recovered.

* * *

_Don't give in, don't give up,_

_I'll be gone,_

_you don't look innocent enough._

_we're too young to be critics,_

_we won't miss anything at all._

* * *

I was completely disheveled by the time I got home. Sasuke was watching TV. Upon hearing my purse drop he turned his head. Immediately he saw my injured hand.

"What happened?" he asked as I plopped on the bed next to him. Here came the hard part: did I tell him that Karin was an evil bitch or did I let him be with her? I sighed. "How come you've been getting injured so much lately?" he asked, smoothing a feather over my hand before I could stop him.

"Seriously Sasuke. You have to stop hurting yourself over every cut I get. Just because I'm in pain doesn't mean you have to be too."

Sasuke looked down. "It does…"

I regretted my words instantly. His previous owner had always stolen Sasuke's feathers, and punished him. He would always tell Sasuke that since Sasuke was his angel that Sasuke had to suffer along with him. That Sasuke had to be in pain because of what he 'did' to the owner's son. But it was a misunderstanding, really. Sasuke never killed his son.

"Hey, you listen to me. The past is done. You don't have to live like that anymore."

He nodded. "So what happened?"

I shook my head. "It's not important."

"But hime your hand –"

"Sasuke."

He shut his mouth. He never argued with me anymore. He still was upset about the slapping thing. So was I.

I took a deep breath. "I don't want you to worry unnecessarily." I whispered softly.

I looked away, not meeting his gaze.

"Are you alright?" he whispered.

I nodded. "I will be. But, I really… I mean…they know about my powers. How to control them. How to stop them." I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. "And…I know who told them about us."

He leaned in closer. "Who?"

I waited a few seconds before replying. Weighing the options in my head: tell him, don't tell him. I couldn't lie to him though. "Karin did. Look, you don't have to believe me, but I swear she did…she…she really doesn't like me Sasuke. She thought that…that she could get rid of me…so you and her …could be together. I don't think she wanted to hurt me, "I had to lie about that. I couldn't let Sasuke think badly of her if he truly loved her. "She just wanted me to lose my powers."

He remained silent, absorbing the information just like I had moments ago.

After a couple minutes of silence I began to worry. "…Sasuke?"

He blinked, as if coming back to life. "I don't want to talk about this now." He stated quietly. I bit my lip, nodding, and murmured,

"I'm sorry."

I looked at the clock. It was almost nine now.

"I'm tired…" he voiced.

I nodded, standing up and walking to my drawer to get my pajamas. "I'll be right back."

I changed in my bathroom and quickly returned to him, pulling the covers away from my bed. Shut the lights off as we climbed under the covers together, him still quiet. I regretted telling him what happened. I should have kept my mouth shut.

He pulled the covers back over us again and I snuggled against his chest, closing my eyes and inhaling his scent.

"Sasuke," I called quietly into the darkness.

"…what..?"

I lifted my head and searched for his eyes, squinting slightly as I did so.

I bit my lip in hesitation.

"_I want to become a human."_

"_Don't say such blasphemous things, Sasuke!"_

_He looked downwards. "You…wouldn't want me…? If I became a human?"_

Of course I would want him. I would always want him.

"If…if you go back. They won't hurt you. They _can't. _You didn't do anything wrong. I – I forced you. That's what she told them. So, go back. Go home. Be happy."

He sat up, bringing me up with him.

"I mean, I'm going to forget you soon, right? I…don't want to ruin things…I don't." I buried my face in my hands, rambling.

"_But I'm sure Sasuke never told you that. Do you really think he wants to be with you if he never even told you that it was an option?"_

No, he tried telling me. He did.

"_Sasuke's not going to believe you! He thinks I like you. Tch. As if. He's so gullible sometimes, but I'll teach him…after all, I'm going to get to spend the rest of my life with him..."_

Does he even believe me? Or does he think I'm just making this up because I'm jealous? But I'm not, I'm not…

"…_And we're going to live happily ever after, and make love all the time. Too bad you can't. Don't you wish you could be with him? I know you do."_

I did, I wanted him. I wanted him forever and ever. Tears began to leak from my eyes. She was right. She knew.

"…_because he doesn't trust you."_

Sasuke…

"Why are you crying?" his breathing was slow and even.

"_I don't have to worry. I have plenty of time to help him forget you. Besides, he may care about you, but he loves me."_

"B-because…you're going to live with her and be happy and forget all about me. And…and I love you so much, I _can't _forget you. I need you. You're my most precious person. My best friend, my everything. And I always knew that I wasn't supposed to care. But I did. And I didn't think I'd make such a mess of things. I thought we could be happy. It didn't matter, nothing mattered except us."

He looked at me in pity. "Saku –"

I rubbed my eyes. "But now look at what's happened."

"But what about Naruto?" he asked slowly. I shook my head.

"I tried moving on. I'm trying. But I see Naruto like a brother. And I know he loves me more than he should. Just like I love you more than I should. And I don't want to hurt him but I can't lie to him…"

I was beginning to wonder if Sasuke ever loved me at all. Or if he was just pretending to just to make me happy. If the things he said were even real. I'd never know.

"It'll be over soon." He whispered. "You won't remember me. It won't hurt."

"But it hurts now!" I protested quietly, trying not to draw attention from my mother downstairs.

He faced me properly. "Ten years."

"Excuse me?" I hiccupped.

"Ten years. Every ten years we get a new owner."

My eyes widened in shock. "T-ten years?" I counted on my fingers. "But Sasuke…that only leaves us with…"

"Another month. We met in May. Right in between our birthdays. I was six, you were seven. Ten years have passed, and you'll forget me soon. It won't hurt for that much longer."

I swallowed, trying desperately not to cry in front of him anymore.

Ten years…

His finger tilted my chin upwards. "If Karin really did tell on you though," his thumb brushed my cheek. "I don't want to be with her. If she did anything to get you in trouble…"

I wished that I would say something, anything but my voice wouldn't come to me.

"Then I can't be with her." He finished.

I closed my eyes as his forehead pressed against mine. "I told you that I wasn't replacing you with her and I meant it. I just wanted…something to fill the void that I knew would come when you were gone. If she's not the person I thought she was, then it's not your fault."

I nodded.

"So hime, don't worry. We'll get through this."

I lay back down and he pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me. It made me feel safe from everything that was going on. And for a bit, I could pretend that I could spend forever like this.

"Goodnight…" he murmured.

"Yes…goodnight…" I replied, burying my face in the crook of his neck, allowing my thoughts to drift.

* * *

**Sneak Peak of Chapter Nine – Rusty Halo**

I wanted to wrap my arms around him and tell him that everything would be alright. That I was there for him and always would be. But that wasn't enough right now. Our lives were at stake. And Karin had hurt him. Or maybe I hurt him. Maybe he didn't believe me and thought I was lying to him. Maybe.

Either way, I would help him.

I took a deep breath and sighed.

He hasn't been home in two weeks. I couldn't keep going like this forever. Couldn't keep him here. He didn't belong here. This wasn't his home. I was naïve. What, did I think that I could bring him here and we could live happily ever after? In this world so foreign to him. Did I actually think he would abandon everything for me? Me.

No.

I took his hand and stood him up. His silence had me thinking a lot.

I interlaced our fingers, although his hand was limp in mine. I squeezed his hand, successfully getting his attention. "I'll take you home."

* * *

**A/N – So yeah, the ending didn't come out quite right. But this chapter was longer than the others. Yeah, everything is leading somewhere. Expect something epic soon. Tootles, darlings. Review please.**


	9. Rusty Halo

**Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Fallen Feathers

* * *

**.::Chapter Nine – Rusty Halo::.**

_It's been a long time coming,_

_but you know you had it,_

_you know you had it coming._

* * *

We hadn't spoken of Karin since then. I refused to mention her name because it hurt. Hurt so bad that she could ever do something like that to him. I didn't care about myself. I didn't care if she was after me. But she jeopardized Sasuke's safety. I wouldn't stand for that. I wouldn't.

Part of me had wished that since we were here in my world and away from anyone that could see us, that Sasuke would maybe do something. About our relationship. Or whatever it was. I hoped he would.

And being that he said he didn't want to be with Karin anymore I just figured…

But I shouldn't have assumed. Because he did nothing out of the ordinary. He didn't look at me lovingly, or hold me close or anything since that night.

And Naruto. Naruto I'd been avoiding. He called every day. I only answered once. I told him my cousin was visiting. I lied. Because I couldn't let go of him yet, couldn't tell him the truth. Not yet. But I couldn't leave Sasuke. Already he was becoming…what was he becoming?

He became emotionless.

And it was starting to worry me. I was still trying to figure out what to do. I didn't know. I was only a teenager. But somehow, I had to figure out how to let Sasuke go back home. And I had to know that he'd be safe once he got there. Because here – welled up in my room all day – he was becoming miserable, I could tell. He couldn't go out anywhere – lest he be discovered.

I felt bad for him, wished I knew what he was thinking, but he didn't say anything.

He barely talked to me. Even my mother noticed.

I focused on figuring out a plan though. I could always just wing it. Go and see what happens. I didn't know what they would do, but I didn't want to bring Sasuke with me. I didn't want him there. But he couldn't stay in my world without me for too long either.

"Sasuke." I called.

He turned his head from the television.

My room was dark. We couldn't risk having the shades open. I switched on the light.

"I need your help."

_I need you._

He didn't say anything, just waited for me to explain.

"I need to figure out something to say to the _Potenes. _A plan. I know I can't keep you here forever."

I don't want him to be miserable.

He looked down at my bed spread in contemplation. It killed me to see him like this.

I sat down next to him, concern laced in my facial features. "Sasuke-kun." I attempted.

I'd been calling him that here. Sasuke-kun.

He didn't react any different though. Didn't drop the honorific from my name. Didn't do anything.

I wanted to knock some sense into him. Or just something, _anything _to get a reaction out of him.

"Please Sasuke, speak to me."

I looked at him desperately, waiting as his onyx orbs slid into focus and stared intently at me.

"I have to go home." He whispered softly.

That's it? That's all he had to say? I nodded nonetheless. "I know. Help me figure out a way."

He shook his head.

"Please Sasuke, what's gotten into you?"

I wanted to wrap my arms around him and tell him that everything would be alright. That I was there fro him and always would be. But that wasn't enough right now. Our lives were at stake. And Karin had hurt him. Or maybe I hurt him. Maybe he didn't believe me and thought I was lying to him. Maybe.

Either way, I would help him.

I took a deep breath and sighed.

He hasn't been home in two weeks. I couldn't keep going like this forever. Couldn't keep him here. He didn't belong here. This wasn't his home. I was naïve. What, did I think that I could bring him here and we could live happily ever after? In this world so foreign to him. Did I actually think he would abandon everything for me? Me.

No.

I took his hand and stood him up. His silence had me thinking a lot.

I interlaced our fingers, although his hand was limp in mine. I squeezed his hand, successfully getting his attention. "I'll take you home."

I expected at least a reaction from that statement but there was none. Just a slight barely visible nod.

I closed my eyes – bracing myself for what may come to us waiting on the other side.

His house was empty. Karin wasn't there.

I let go of his hand.

"Sasuke, will you please take me to the _Potenes?_" I asked softly.

His wing was healed now, which I was grateful for.

Then Sasuke did something unexpected and walked toward me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into a tight embrace.

My eyes widened slightly, but I returned the embrace, stroking his hair gently.

"Sasuke, what's wrong…please…" I murmured against his hair.

He merely gripped my shirt and buried his face in the crook of my neck.

"They're coming." He whispered.

I heard it too. A soft faint echo of wings flapping. They didn't even send the centaurs. They were coming themselves.

I kissed his forehead. "Stay here."

He opened his mouth to protest but I looked at him, smiling sadly. "Sasuke, if they hurt you again…I won't be able to live with myself. Besides, at least you'll be able to remember me as being all heroic once I'm gone."

I ran out of his house, and from the corner of my eye say Karin coming.

"You brought him back." She stated, surprised.

I knew I should have felt anger towards her. I should have been furious.

"I'm sorry about your wing." I said suddenly, and it was a genuine apology. "Please, I don't care what happens to me," I struggled with my words, trying to get them all out before they arrived, "But please, don't let them hurt Sasuke. You were right. You and he will live happily together." I shook my head. "I never stood a chance. I know you'll take good care of him."

Her eyes held sympathy. "What are you planning on doing…?"

"Whatever it takes." I said. "And if that means that I can't ever come back, then so be it. Because I know that I only had a couple weeks left anyway. Before I had to forget. But if I don't get to see him again, tell him that it'll be alright. Tell him I said that. Please."

She nodded, at a loss for words. My eyes stung with unshed tears. I never would have guessed that it would come down to this.

"Protect him." I whispered as she turned and went into Sasuke's house.

And the pain of seeing her go to him was incredible. And Karin could fix things with him. She had all the time in the world to help him forget me, as she had said. And it was true.

The flapping noise was getting closer.

I turned around, knowing that I didn't have anything that I could do. No special powers or anything. So what exactly was I planning on accomplishing? My heart sped. This could mean my life.

That's when I saw it. In the distance, only one angel.

I supposed it would be futile for all of them to come. But I didn't have to wait for him to land to know which one it was.

Madara.

I stood my ground, facing him. He landed with the utmost of grace. My heart pounded erratically.

"Why hello there, Sakura. Fancy meeting you here?" he grinned evilly. I glared, not persuaded by his false kindness.

"Cut to the chase." I commanded.

Madara slowly walked closer to me, until he was inches away. "Sakura, honestly, what do you expect to accomplish?" his finger traced my arm, sending chills down my spine. "You're a mere human." His hand lifted my arm, and then dropped it back down again. "And a weak one at that. How can you possibly hope to defeat me?"

I took a deep breath, relaxing my shoulders. "You're absolutely right. I can't win against you. But I'm not about to let you kill Sasuke either. I won't allow it."

He let out a laugh. "And what are you planning to do to stop me?"

I looked him deeply in the eyes. "You can't possibly allow your only living relative to die like that. I don't think that even _you _are that cruel. Aren't you the least bit sympathetic towards angels? Hell, you _were _one."

He abruptly turned serious. "You don't know me. And you don't know how I feel."

"No, I don't. But I _know _that there's only one way for an angel to become human. And that way breaks the rules. So that means that you broke the rules too. That hardly constitutes a right to be a hypocrite."

He slapped me. "Do not talk about things you are ignorant about." He spat.

I hit a soft spot. Good.

"Did you _love _her? Did they kill her? Is that why you do this? Do you want Sasuke to suffer, just as you suffered?" I shot at him. He grabbed my throat, squeezing painfully.

"Remember that I can kill you in an instant."

I was scared shitless right now. But I couldn't let him see that. So I glared back at him, trying desperately to hold on to what little amounts of breath that I had left. After a few seconds, his grip on my throat loosened. I knew I'd have a bruise there. How was I supposed to explain that to my parents?

"I'm not here to judge." I stated. He laughed.

"As if I care about your _judgment."_ The cool, calm and collected façade that he usually wore was slowly deteriorating.

"You can do whatever you want. I'm fully aware of that. But it wouldn't benefit you to kill your only living relative, now would it? And it certainly wouldn't benefit you to kill me. I'm sure there's more you'd like to know about my…powers." I leaned closer, trying to make it seem more appealing.

"What are you proposing then?" was his reply.

"I'm proposing that you leave Sasuke alone. He – as you know – had nothing to do with it. I forced him to kiss me. It was all my fault." Saying these words in my head sounded crazy, let alone admitting them to Madara of all people. And maybe I didn't force him to kiss me the last time, but the first time I ever asked him to, I had. Maybe he never would have been interested – or faked being interested for that matter – in me if I hadn't made him kiss me all those years ago. So maybe, this mess really _was _my fault.

He looked at me, silently waiting for me to continue. I did, without hesitation.

"And, as you and I both know, my time here is limited. Soon, I will forget about Sasuke and this world altogether. The opportunity to…learn more about me may be running short."

I shifted on my feet, trying to make up some excuse to appeal to him. Truth was, I didn't know what I was proposing really. I was just winging it. I didn't realize what was really coming out of my mouth. What I was offering.

"I only have less than a month left. But I'm proposing – if you swear to not hurt Sasuke, that is – to allow you to experiment on me."

Madara broke out into a smile. "You do realize, my dear, that by offering this, it just proves that you've broken the law. Proves that you care about him more than you should."

I continued looking at him. "Perhaps so. But I know for a fact that he doesn't feel the same. So if anyone should be punished, it should be me, not him." Then, I added hesitantly. "Besides, wouldn't you do that for your lover?" I asked with sincerity in my voice.

He looked at me blankly. Then, "What do you mean by experiments?"

I shook my head, already regretting this. "Nothing of course, that could kill me. Because my parents would be quite worried. But, I guess other than that, anything." I closed my eyes tightly. This was for Sasuke, I reminded myself.

"You have two weeks left, correct?" he inquired.

"Uh, I guess." I replied, feeling numb.

"Then for two weeks, you shall come to the Castle. Besides, perhaps you yourself are curious to know how your _gift _works."

I nodded, then he smiled brightly.

"Ja ne, Sakura dear." I watched as he jumped into the air, flying off. The further he flew away, the more pain I felt in my chest. But also, I was more curious about his past relationship. I wondered how he could fly, if he was human. Were they fake wings, perhaps?

I shook my head; it was none of my business.

I turned back towards Sasuke's house, where he and Karin emerged hesitantly.

"What happened?"

I was surprised when Karin asked this, and not Sasuke. Maybe she respected the fact that I gave Sasuke up for her. Or maybe she felt bad for me because she knew I only had a short amount of time left with him. I wondered if Sasuke and Karin would stay together, even after she tricked us. But I didn't care. Sasuke was safe.

"I made a negotiation with Madara." I said quietly, looking down. "He's not going to hurt Sasuke though." I managed to smile.

I forced myself to look at Sasuke. "What did you do?" he asked, his voice hush.

"Saved your life." I bit out bitterly. He could be a little more grateful.

"You don't know what you're doing." He protested. "Madara's going to…"

"It doesn't matter, Sasuke. I'm leaving in two weeks anyway. It doesn't matter. I'll be fine."

He looked away, and from that second I knew that I would not be fine.

* * *

_Now I'm looking up the Bible, trying to find a loophole,_

_yeah I'm living for revival, dying for a new soul._

_Now there's no light to guide me on my way home,_

_now there's no time to shine my Rusty Halo._

* * *

Madara led me through the hallways. So far, the experiments hadn't been pleasant. Ranging from needles, to minor incisions, I vaguely wondered if he was only doing this for his entertainment, rather than actually researching. My body was sore. And it had only been a week so far.

He sat me down on a hospital bed, and pulled a machine up over my head, placing it over my eyes.

I felt my pulse quicken.

"Don't worry, I'm just going to study your brainwaves." He said simply.

"Can I talk?" I questioned quietly.

"If you'd like." Was his reply.

It was hard to believe that my last two weeks here, wouldn't be spent with Sasuke. It was even harder to believe that he was choosing to spend it with Karin instead. In fact, it broke my heart. I was doing this for him.

"Madara, can I ask you a serious question? I don't mean to pry, but I'm curious."

I couldn't help but feed into his appealing personality. Even if it was a fake one.

"Curiosity killed the cat." But he smiled.

"Why do you have wings, if you're human now?" I asked.

He looked into the computer screen, reading my brain waves for a moment.

"I reattached my wings. After I became human. I didn't want anyone to know."

"I didn't know that was possible." I admitted.

"There are a few things you do not know that are possible." He smiled wrly.

"Sasuke and I share a special trait. Special, even among angels."

I felt my curiosity spike. "You do?" he never mentioned anything before. But the more I knew him, the more I realized he didn't mention much to me.

He nodded. "It's called Sharingan."

I blinked. Sharingan…

"What is it?"

"It's a bloodline trait. Our eyes are special. We are able to see things that are normally not able to be seen. Also, we can make other people see things that aren't real."

I swallowed. "Illusions?" I asked.

"Yes. We can make a person feel pain, even if there isn't any."

"But…"

"If you're wondering, Sasuke refuses to use his. Because that would admit that he's related to me. Something he's not likely to do."

"I see." I closed my eyes, allowing him to study my brain. Perhaps I'd ask Sasuke about his Sharingan.

Suddenly, I felt dizzy.

"Madara…" I began, my head beginning to hurt. I couldn't focus.

"Calm down. This is normal."

I had to get out of here…I was…what? What was I doing here?

I felt the darkness spread, until it overtook me completely.

* * *

_Everyone's running from something,_

_but we don't know when it's coming._

_So we keep running and running and running._

* * *

When I had woken up, my head was pounding. I lifted my hand, my eyes shooting open. I felt around. Ouch.

I pulled my hand away to examine it, noticing blood. I was bleeding? What exactly had happened? Where _was _I?

I heard the door click open.

Sasuke.

He walked into the room silently, and – thankfully – alone.

I couldn't concentrate properly, but I was glad that Sasuke was here. "Sasuke?" I asked vaguely.

"Sakura, why are you doing this?" he asked me tiredly.

I didn't know how to reply to that.

"I – what do you mean? Sasuke? I'm doing this for you."

He was silent. Then, looking at my hair, "Sakura you're bleeding." He sighed as if he was reprimanding a child. He lifted his hand to touch my wound. I winced.

He plucked out a feather – he did that so carelessly these days – and brought it to my head. I closed my eyes.

"I miss you." I murmured softly.

He nodded. "I know."

Opening my eyes, I cupped his cheek. "Only a week left, and I don't even get to spend it with you."

"Stop making this harder than it has to be." He said softly. I retracted my hand, hurt.

I looked down. "Fine."

He sighed heavily and brushed my hair back.

"It'll be alright. You'll have Naruto."

"And you'll have Karin." I mumbled. "This is all wrong." I added.

"Perhaps." He replied just as quiet. "But life doesn't always work out how we want it to, you know." He stated matter of factly.

I nodded dumbly, my eyes beginning to tear.

"Madara said you can go home for the day if you'd like." Sasuke said, almost bitterly.

"You spoke with him?" I was shocked, really.

He nodded. "Unfortunately."

Then, I remembered the conversation I had with Madara.

"Sasuke, what's Sharingan?"

He blinked then looked at me, almost alarmed. "How do you know about that?"

I hesitated. "Madara told me."

He frowned. "It wasn't his place to do so."

"Perhaps." I said, mimicking his earlier words. "But you didn't answer my question."

"It's none of your business."

I blinked back tears. "Why…are you acting like this?" I asked, my vision blurring.

"Because it's better to break things off with a clean cut, rather than draw it out."

"So you're saying, you'd rather me leave hating you than loving you?"

He clenched his jaw. "It would be for the best."

I couldn't hold the tears back anymore. I shed them unwillingly and pushed him away from my. "Fine then. I won't visit you anymore."

"Do me a favor."

I tightened my fists. "Why?"

He ignored me. "Come to my house on the last day. The day we first met. Okay?" he wasn't as harsh now, his voice was back to the same voice that I remembered. The same voice that I loved.

I nodded, knowing that I couldn't refuse his final request. It would be the last time I saw him after all. That is, if I couldn't figure out a way to remember. I was still counting on that. But I wondered if it would do any use anymore. If it would even make a difference if I remembered.

"Okay."

He stood without another word, and walked out of the room. Leaving me, once again.

* * *

**A/N - This is becoming too depressing for my liking. Next chapter will be (hopefully) better. Review please :D **


	10. Airplanes

**Disclaimer - DNON. **

* * *

Fallen Feathers

**

* * *

**

**.::Chapter Ten – Airplanes**

_Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky,_

_are like shooting stars?_

_Cause I could really use a wish right now,_

_A wish right now._

* * *

Today was the last day I'd have. The last day I'd see Sasuke's smile or hear his laugh. And I knew that I had to make the best of it. The experiments had been crucial. I'd had to make up some pretty weird excuses to my mother on why I had cuts or bruises or why I wasn't feeling well. But that was all behind me now. Today I was going to spend my day with Sasuke.

I wondered vaguely how I was supposed to just magically forget all about him. I wondered how.

As I knocked on his door, just as he told me to do, I felt my heart quicken. I hadn't had really any alone time since the experiments, because they really took a toll on me. And I knew he was angry that I decided to do that for him. But it didn't matter. I did it anyway. For him.

He opened the door as if he was expecting me the entire time. And maybe he had been. Without allowing me to step inside, he closed the door behind him and joined me on his front step.

"You're early."

I blinked, not quite sure if I heard him right. Did he just say I was _early? _Why did that even matter? Today was our last day together. And he was worried about me being early.

Upon seeing my face contort into a displeased expression he hastily shook his head. "I didn't mean it like that." Then he looked back towards his house. "It's just that…never mind. Let's go." He held out his hand to me and I took it graciously.

"Where are we going?" I asked quietly, squeezing his hand lightly.

He shrugged. "Wherever we want."

We walked through the fields and past his house. "Did they tell you who your new owner is yet?" I hesitantly asked. He nodded.

"A fourteen year old girl. Supposedly."

I nodded slowly. "I see."

We walked together in silence. Because really, what was there to say at this point? There was nothing. Everything was different. _He _was different. I don't quite know when it began, but he started changing. And now, it was like he turned into a person I didn't even know anymore.

There was a small stream passing by, and I tugged on his hand so that we could walk up to the stream. I sat down on the grass nearby and took off my flip flops, dipping my toes in the water.

He sat down next to me wordlessly.

I placed his hand in my lap, fiddling with his fingers. I felt my eyes begin to tear up, everything finally sinking in.

"..S-Sasuke…" I whispered absently. Unwillingly a teardrop fell on his palm and he looked over at me almost sympathetically.

"Don't do this." He whispered, leaning over to brush my tears away.

I nodded dumbly. "I'm s-sorry."

He sighed heavily, as if this was all too much for him. Unexpectedly, he pulled my arm, and wrapped his arms around me. My eyes widened for a moment, my hands fisting his shirt. I buried my face against his chest.

"You don't know how much I'm going to miss you." He mumbled.

I pulled away and brushed his bangs out of his face. My hands cupped his cheek softly, my thumb stroking his skin.

"There's so much more I wanted to do with you. So much more I needed to show you."

I felt the pad of his thumb swiped underneath my eye, and I blinked, astounded that I was still crying. He was so beautiful now, the sun glistening against his skin, the wind softly tousling his hair. And I wished he was mine for the taking. I wished I could have him forever. Every bit of him.

I pulled out of the embrace before I could do something stupid. I slid my flip flops back on and stood. I Held out my arms to pull him up with me. My fingers idly brushed across his feathers.

"We should head back now." He murmured. I tiled my head.

"But I just got here."

Sasuke closed his eyes. "Karin is back at the house sleeping."

"Oh."

_Oh. _

And then I realized.

"_You're early."_

She was there. The whole time. They were back together and she probably slept over. And Sasuke didn't want her to wake up alone.

Sasuke was putting her before me. Again.

"Okay. Let's go back then." I stated before I could stop myself. And for the first time, I thought that maybe forgetting Sasuke wouldn't be so bad. Maybe I wouldn't try to remember him. What would be the point anyway? He had Karin. I'd never be able to just be with him.

Maybe it was a good thing that he'd remember me and I'd forget him. For the first time I wanted him to feel the pain I felt. I wanted him to miss me so terribly.

But I knew that I'd just fade into a memory over time.

He led me back to the house and took me inside. Karin was up. She must've known I was coming.

Sasuke turned to face me seriously. "Sakura, I want you to know that you're not just going to forget me. I have to…make you forget."

I looked at him helplessly. They just kept pouring all this information on me. Information that I didn't want to know. I shut my eyes tightly and looked down. "Just do it then."

Sasuke took a step toward me and placed his hands at either side of my head. He tilted my head upwards, and I opened my eyes to stare into his for the last time. "It'll take you a few hours to forget completely. But by tomorrow you won't remember anything."

A lone tear slipped down my cheek. How could he be so calm about this? Maybe he never loved me and it was all just a lie. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Karin sitting there just drinking coffee. So freaking casually that it pissed me off.

Sasuke's hands began to glow subtly and my head began to feel dizzy. I staggered, almost falling over, but he caught me.

"Sakura try to focus. I have to extract your memories."

I closed my eyes and tried to stand up straight. I placed my hands over his to steady myself.

I felt something tugging inside my head. There was a dull pain, like a really bad headache or something. I took a few deep breaths.

I kept repeating things over and over in my head so I wouldn't forget.

_Sasuke. My Sasuke-kun. My angel. Mine._

A part of me wondered if he could read my mind right now. If he knew that I was referring to him like that.

And then his hands were gone, falling to his sides, still holding mine. I opened my eyes, my vision hazy.

"…Sasu…uke…kun…" I mumbled, confused.

He gripped my arms to steady me. "You better go home now before you forget how to do that." He warned.

I really didn't have any room to protest. I felt like I was drugged or something. But there was one thing I knew I had to do before I left.

"But…It's not fair." I mumbled.

I placed my hands on his shoulders, gripping them tightly. "I'm sorry." I whispered, turning my face to Karin. She looked at me confused for a moment. I turned back to Sasuke and stood on my tippy toes, pressing a kiss to his lips.

I was really selfish.

I had already asked him for one last kiss, and here I was, stealing another from him. I could just never get enough of him.

I forced his lips open, and kissed him more deeply. And I couldn't see anything around me. Everything was spinning, and he was disappearing. Until, I couldn't feel his lips against mine anymore. Until, I was back in my room.

Alone.

I collapsed on my bed in sobs and held on to the one thing that I could.

_Sasuke. My Sasuke-kun. My angel. Mine._

I repeated that over and over in my head.

Then I realized a better method. I was already beginning to forget my earlier memories of me and him.

I had to find my diary. I hastily reached over to my night table. Then, a horrified look spread across my face.

Where the hell was my diary?

I opened the drawer frantically. I searched everywhere. On my dresser, behind my bed. My vision blurred with tears. Where the hell was it?

Just like my memories, my diary was gone.

* * *

_After all the partying and crashing,_

_all the glitz and the glam and the fashion._

_and all the pandemonium and the madness,_

_There comes a time when you fade into the blackness._

* * *

I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. Smiling, I reached down to grab it.

"Hello?" I grinned.

"Hey. I'll be over in like two minutes. I'm almost at your house."

I giggled.

"Alright. See ya."

Click.

I finished brushing out my hair, in an oddly good mood. It was July 18th, and I've now been dating Naruto for a couple months. But it seemed like we've been together forever, since we always used to hang out anyway. In truth, not much had changed. We were still best friends, and we still just hung out a lot. The only difference was that we kissed – alright, _made out _a bit. But other than that, not much changed.

I heard the door bell ring and I jumped downstairs to answer it.

Naruto smiled softly, his hands in his pockets as he casually stepped inside.

"Hey, you." I greeted fondly, kissing his cheek.

He ruffled my hair, and I took his hand, leading him back up to my room. I skipped up the stairs, in an almost giddy mood.

"You're parents are out?" he questioned. I nodded.

"When aren't they? Anyway, I just got this new video game and I totally am gunna kill you in it." Naruto and I had been getting into video games lately, bringing out my inner geek.

"Aw, that's awesome Sakura-chan." He exclaimed enthusiastically. Once we were upstairs I set up my PS3 and put the game in. I explained the controls quickly; he was a fast learner.

After beating him three times in a row, I decided to take a break. By next week he'd be beating me, so I'd better take in my victory while it lasted. I tossed the controller to the side and leaned back against my bed, exhaling loudly. I stretched my arms above my head and watched as Naruto leaned over.

He didn't seem put out that he lost, which made me happy. He wasn't the sore loser type. More like the work-until-you-succeed type.

Naruto pressed his lips to mine, and I felt _it _again.

I didn't really know what _it _was, but every time he kissed me, I just felt something weird. I can't really explain it, but the whole thing seemed _wrong. _Like it wasn't him I should be kissing.

I've been getting that feeling for a few weeks now.

Almost like…I didn't know. But most of the time I just ignored it, because it was probably just my imagination. I mean, how couldn't I be happy? I had everything I wanted: friends, parents, good grades, and a great boyfriend. What else could be missing?

Naruto pressed himself closer to me, snapping me out of my thought process.

I wound my fingers through his hair, smiling into the kiss. It wouldn't be right for me to _not _enjoy kissing my boyfriend. Yet, I couldn't find it in my heart to break up with him because I was feeling something weird.

It wouldn't be fair.

Naruto pulled away and plopped down on the bed next to me.

He had been so good to me since we've been together. So good to me even before we were together. I just couldn't break his heart. I couldn't.

It simply wouldn't be fair.

My mother eyed me carefully.

"Sakura, dear, I'm…worried."

I grinned, eating my sushi. "About what, mom?"

What in the world could she _possibly _be worried about?

She hesitated, still looking at me cautiously. And suspiciously if you asked me. It was completely uncalled for.

"How's Sasuke?" she asked slowly.

I blinked. "Sasuke?"

She nodded eagerly.

"Who the heck is that?" I asked incredulously. Sasuke? I didn't know a Sasuke.

I looked at her confused, and was met with a tormented expression. She looked almost, pained to hear me say that. I wondered why.

"Oh dear…" she whispered.

I put my chopsticks down, enough of her acting weird. "Mom, what are you talking about?" I demanded.

She looked down. "Sasuke was someone…_is _someone…very close to you."

I got up, throwing out my trash. "You're crazy. I'm going."

"Sakura. Sit down. We need to talk."

I spun on my heels, heaving a big sigh and plopped in my chair dramatically, obviously displeased. "What is it mom?" I asked, crossing my arms.

She leaned towards me earnestly. "You told me yourself that this was going to happen soon. You told me what to do when it did happen. You knew you were going to forget about him."

"Forget _who _mom?" she was speaking rubbish, and quite frankly it was getting on my nerves.

"Sakura, listen to me! I'm serious!" her tone was harsh, yet pleading.

I'd never heard my mother use that tone on me. I became serious. "Mom…why's this so important?"

"Because. When you told me you were going to forget him…" she closed her eyes shut, as if trying to banish the image away, "…you were so distraught. I didn't know what to _do. _I said I'd do anything to help. Sakura you were in tears. You told me – begged me – to remind you about him when you forgot."

Seeing my mother like this was odd, so she must be telling the truth. "Why did I forget him?" I asked innocently.

She shook her head. "You didn't give me all the details. You could barely speak properly. But, I know he's very special to you. You've known him for a long time. But something made you forget him. You said that you had a diary that you kept. Of your memories with him. You told me to tell you that it would be on your night table when the time came."

I nodded slowly. "I don't remember seeing a diary…"

My mother reached across the table and touched my cheek. "Please, you have to remember him. Maybe you have pictures with him that could help…anything. Just try. I'm sure he misses you."

An idea formed in my head. "You know where he is? Just take me to his house and he can explain everything." I smiled brightly. But she was shaking her head before I could even finish.

"It's not like that Sakura. I can't. You…you're going to think I'm crazy for saying this, but Sasuke…he's from another world."

She paused to gauge my expression, which was shocked.

"You brought him here to this world when he was in trouble. I met him. He's was very polite, and it was clear that you two were inseparable."

I looked at her weirdly. "How did I 'bring him' here?"

"Please, I know it sounds weird. But you have to trust me on this, just like I trusted you when you first brought him here." She pleaded, holding my hand.

"Alright. Go on."

"I don't know how, but you were able to travel back and forth between his world and ours. Maybe once you remember him you'll be able to remember how to get to his world."

"Why's he in a different world?" I asked. I didn't even know other worlds existed, much less was able to travel to them.

"He's an angel Sakura."

I blinked twice. "A what?"

"An angel. He has wings." She shook her head and sighed. "Maybe if you find your diary everything will fall into place. I can't help you much more than I already have. So please, just try."

I nodded and stood up, still mildly baffled. All this had come on so suddenly…

"Thanks mom."

* * *

_So here I stand,_

_and then again I say._

_I'm hoping we can make some wishes outta airplanes._

* * *

Once I was in my room, I emptied out my night table, but didn't find anything. Huh, I wonder what happened to this diary.

If I started thinking about it hard enough, the name sounded vaguely familiar.

"Sasuke…" I whispered, and almost got the feeling that I'd said that name more times than I could count.

Realizing that I was getting nowhere with the diary, I took out my camera and scrolled through my old pictures.

There were pictures of Naruto and me, pictures of Ino…

I stopped at one particular picture.

Who was that?

I was sitting in the grass with a boy, who looked about my age, and his arms were wrapped around me. We looked friendly enough. Both of us were smiling brightly. I couldn't have been more than four years younger than I was now.

He had dark hair and dark eyes to match, but his skin was porcelain pale.

To put it mildly, he was gorgeous.

Who was he? Was this…Sasuke?

Without wasting time I jumped downstairs, showing my mother the picture. She smiled brightly.

"Yes! That's him! Check your phone too, maybe there's more pictures."

I smiled a little, happy with my accomplishment as I went back up to my room. This was Sasuke? This was the person I was so close with? I blushed softly.

I scrolled through my pictures, finding more. In one, I saw a glimpse of his wings. They were gorgeous…he almost seemed surreal.

I looked at my phone, scrolling through more pictures.

My eyes stopped on one.

We both were looking directly at the camera, and he had his arm around me again. He was holding the phone, and it was almost as though his eyes were looking directly at me, through the picture. Begging me to remember.

I closed my eyes tightly.

Sasuke…Sasuke-kun…an angel…Sasuke.

I repeated over and over in my head.

* * *

"_I'll show you mine if you show me yours." I whispered curiously, leaning over. At eight years old, I had no idea what a guy's private area looked like. And I wanted to know._

_Sasuke blushed. "You think that's a good idea?"_

_I waved my hand, dismissing his qualms. "People do it all the time. Besides, aren't you curious Sasuke-kun?"_

_He looked at me and then nodded, "Yeah."_

"_Okay then. On the count of three we both pull our pants down. One, two, three!"_

_I pulled my pants down quickly and watched as Sasuke did the same. It was silent as we both stared at each other. I wrinkled my nose in disgust._

"_What _is _that?" I pointed._

_He looked down innocently. "What do you mean?"_

_I wiggled my finger insistently. "That thing hanging. I mean, how do you even pee? Where does the pee come from?"_

_Sasuke shrugged. "I dunno, it just does. But where's yours? How come you don't have one?" he looked back over at me._

_I crossed my arms. "Cause I'm not weird, duh. Maybe it's cause you're an angel. Maybe that's why you gots one." I suggested. I pulled my pants back up, shortly followed by Sasuke doing the same._

"_Well, now you know." He mumbled._

_I plopped down, nodding. "yeah and I wish I didn't."_

* * *

I opened my eyes, a blush forming. What was that memory?

That was Sasuke and myself, I was sure of it.

I could almost see his smile in my mind if I tried picturing it.

And then suddenly, memories came crashing down on me. Us exploring places, getting into trouble, and fighting off the wild. I remembered it all.

And then I broke out into sobs.

* * *

**A/N - sorry this took a while. I didn't realize that much time had passed xD Reviews would be lovely :D **


	11. The Art of Sharing Lovers

**Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Fallen Feathers

* * *

**.::Chapter Eleven – The Art of Sharing Lovers::.**

_We've been sharing lovers,_

_for far too long._

_This isn't a last goodnight._

_And we'll be sleeping 'til our bodies have run cold again,_

_but you're just that suitable._

* * *

I woke up, my eyes sore and tired. I was sore and tired. I had spent all night crying, as if making up for the month that I had spent away from him.

I still didn't remember everything.

Things were coming to me in waves. And each time they did, it gave me something else to feel upset or guilty about. I felt guilty about Naruto, and about Karin. I was really selfish.

I couldn't sleep all night. My thoughts were centered around _him _and I couldn't distract myself long enough to fall asleep.

Morning came slowly.

I heard my mother downstairs getting ready for work. My gaze looked at the clock.

It was only 7:30.

I clenched my fist. What was I going to do? Sasuke was with a new owner. I could only hope that this owner would treat him alright. But chances were slim to none.

And right now, I couldn't do anything about it. I can't remember how to get to him. I can't even remember.

My eyes watered and I wiped the tears away before they could shed. Before I did anything about Sasuke, I was going to have to come clean.

I had to break up with Naruto.

I was stalling for far too long. And the more I waited, the more Naruto would grow attached to me. And the guiltier I would feel.

It didn't matter that Sasuke was with Karin – not that I knew if he really was still or not. I couldn't be with Naruto knowing that I loved someone else still. It wasn't fair to him.

Shakily, I took my phone off of my night stand.

I clicked MESSAGES. Then, START A NEW MESSAGE.

I typed:

Naruto, can you come over? I know it's early but I really have to talk to you about something.

I closed my phone and took a deep breath. I climbed out of my bed and walked to the bathroom, washing my face off and brushing my teeth. Then, I made my bed and changed out of my pajamas, throwing on shorts and a tee shirt.

I stared at myself for a long moment in the mirror, wondering why the hell I did what I did.

I felt my phone vibrate on my bed.

NEW TEXT MESSAGE.

From: Naruto

Hey, you woke me up :P Alright, lemmie get dressed and I'll be right over. You better have a good reason for waking me.

I shut my phone, not even bothering to reply.

Don't worry Naruto. I have an excellent reason.

I couldn't stop fidgeting the entire time I was waiting for him. And when the doorbell finally rang, I sprung up out of my seat, my heart racing.

He gave me a warm smile and engulfed me in a bear hug.

I couldn't help but smile. Through everything, he was still my best friend. But I was a bad best friend. And a bad girlfriend.

"So what's up?" He asked, looking around to make sure everything was alright. I squeezed his hand, looking down. "Are you okay?" he was concerned.

Oh, Naruto.

I nodded. "I'm alright. But," I looked up to meet his gaze, "I have to…tell you something."

He tilted his head. I walked over to the couch, sitting us down.

"For a while now, there was this boy. I've known him since I was seven, and he became close to me. I had a crush on him, but he wasn't interested. So, I tried to move on."

He looked somewhat confused, but also worried. "When I started going out with you, I was hoping that I could forget about this boy. I've always cared about you more than I should have. And I knew you would be good to me. And you have been. You always know how to make me smile, Naruto."

He looked alarmed now. "But," he whispered.

I couldn't bear to look him in the eyes anymore. I swallowed and continued before I lost my nerve. "But, I wasn't over to get over this boy. When I'm with you, I forget about everything. I'm able to just let go and have fun."

He was patient, as I stuttered over my words.

"But then when I'm alone, I start to feel so guilty for…loving you while I also love someone else. I can't put you through that anymore. It's just not fair."

"So, you're breaking up with me." he said softly, almost urethral.

I nodded cautiously. I wasn't strong enough to admit that I kissed Sasuke. That I cheated on Naruto.

He took a deep breath, and it looked like he was trying to hide his hurt.

"Naruto, you'll always be my best friend. And I'll always love you."

Then his glassy cerulean orbs met mine, and I swear my heart broke. "But that isn't enough." He murmured, forcing a smile.

I couldn't take this anymore. I couldn't…

I pulled Naruto to me in an embrace. "I'm so sorry." I mumbled over and over. I held him tightly to me. "Can you ever forgive me?"

Naruto gently removed my arms from around him. He smiled again, squeezing my hands as he held them away from him. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan. I'm alright. Really. But, I'm going to go back to bed, if that's alright." He stood turning away from me. His voice broke on the last word.

I hated myself.

I was the worst of the worst.

I didn't deserve happiness or anything. I deserved everything bad that was to come to me.

He walked out the door silently, but not before turning to me and saying, "See you Monday, kay?"

As soon as he shut the door I let out a scream. He probably heard me.

Maybe he'd think I was crazy.

But, it was the right thing to do. It had to be done. I couldn't continue doing this to him anymore.

I wasn't good enough for him.

I hoped Naruto found someone that would be able to deserve his warmth.

Deserve his kindness and happiness.

And give all of that love right back to him, the way I couldn't.

* * *

_I'm not afraid, I loved something once. _

_Are we fighting for something?_

_We can't save them all._

_I can't believe we let this one go._

* * *

Why was today so important?

I knew that this day – July 23rd was important. I just couldn't figure out for the life of me why.

It was someone's birthday.

I knew that much.

Not Ino, not Naruto, nor Shikamaru. No one I could…

Sasuke! That's it!

It was his birthday today! He would be seventeen.

I had to see him today.

Better yet, I had to get him something.

I smiled, the perfect idea in mine. Grabbing my purse, I locked the door behind me and went to the store to buy Sasuke's gift.

After about an hour of searching and shopping, I came back home content.

Now all that was left was actually getting the present to Sasuke.

I closed my eyes trying so desperately to remember how to get to Sasuke. Maybe, IF only I could think of his house. If I just _imagined _myself in his house, maybe it would work.

I thought hard, trying to picture his living room.

And suddenly I remembered his large bookshelf, his bedroom, the meadow outside his house. The green grass.

I tried picturing myself there. If I could just get to his house, I could find him from there.

I felt cold suddenly, as if a chill ran down my spine. When I opened my eyes, I was no longer in my bedroom.

My eyes widened.

It worked.

It _worked!_

I was here. I looked around quickly, noticing that his house was empty. But it was still his house. I knew it. I walked towards the table, noticing a small piece of paper. I picked it up curiously and my eyes widened dramatically.

_Sakura, _

_If you find this then that means you remembered. If you're not Sakura, then none of this will make sense. I leave today to my new owner. Her house is east of here, not very far. Please be careful, I don't want you getting hurt. Will talk more when I see you. I have faith in you._

_- Sasuke_

I shoved the note deep in my pocket, immediately rushing out of his house.

East, where the hell was east?

I looked around me, then up at the sky. Their sun was east. Pointed in east direction. I looked around for the light blue sun. There. I walked left, hoping I'd find Sasuke.

I tried acting casual, staying out of everyone's way. People here were vicious. They'd attack you for no reason at all. God only knows what would happen if they actually had a reason to do something.

After a while of walking, I came up to a village of a few houses. Maybe this was it, I mused to myself. I searched briefly around for those dark spikes, but didn't see anything in sight.

Just as I was about to give up, something caught my ear.

"Sasuke, you _idiot! _I thought I told you to finish that after you cleaned my room." My head whipped around swiftly. Standing in the house was a girl – a little younger than myself – screaming. I saw her in the window and tried peering around to see more, but couldn't. I hid behind a tree and continued to watch.

"Forget it! Just go outside, I don't want to look at you anymore." She said in disgust.

My heart pounded in anticipation as I gripped the tree unconsciously. I watched as the door opened slowly.

It was him.

I was caught off guard by his beauty, my blurry memories not doing him justice at all.

His hair was longer than I remembered; his skin paler.

He shoved his hands in his pockets, and I squinted my eyes to get a better glimpse of him. I whispered,

"Sasuke."

He whipped his head up in surprise, head scanning around to try and locate my voice.

"Sasuke!" I repeated, a little louder this time. His eyes pinpointed my location as I watched them widen tremendously. Looking back to make sure the girl was gone, he jogged over to me.

Up close I could notice that he didn't look healthy. He had various scrapes adorning his body, and he had small dark circles under his eyes. I wanted to punch whoever allowed this to happen to him.

"Sakura?" he hushed, in wonderment. I smiled and pulled him behind the tree with my, engulfing him in a gigantic embrace. I buried my face in his chest as I felt his weak arms wrap around me.

I pulled away enough to see his face, my fingers brushing his bangs. "What happened to you?" I murmured, concerned.

"My new owner. She's a spoiled brat. A fourteen year old brat."

I shook my head in disapproval. "_She _did this to you?"

He nodded solemnly.

Taking his arm, my fingers traced over various burn marks and cuts. How could I allow this to happen to him? Tears welled up in my eyes.

I held his hand in mine and smiled softly. "Happy birthday, Sasuke."

He smiled back – albeit a little brokenly – and squeezed my hand. "Thank you."

I dropped his hand and dug into my back pocket, reaching for his present. I pulled it out and placed it in his hand.

He looked at it somewhat confusedly. "It's a camera. I know how much you love taking pictures." I mumbled sheepishly.

His fingers enclosed around it as he placed a hand atop my head. "Thank you, Sakura."

I smiled, happy to hear him say my name without the _–hime _attached.

"So you really remember everything?"

I shook my head. "Not _everything,_" I qualified, "but most things."

"How'd you remember?" he mused, almost amusedly.

"Well, I couldn't find my diary, so I had to scroll through my pictures. My mom helped me. I must've warned her about it before I forgot you."

"Smart." He commented.

I looked up at him suspiciously. He grinned back at me as realization dawned on me.

"You stole my diary!" I accused, pointing a finger at him. He shrugged. "But _why?"_

"I knew you'd remember anyway. Besides, I wanted to keep those memories for myself."

I glared at him without any anger.

I couldn't find myself being angry with him. I missed him so much.

"Sasuke?" I heard the girl call.

He sighed, closing his eyes. "Ami…" he mumbled.

"Is that her name?" I pondered. He nodded.

I noticed how he didn't say Ami-hime. Good, at least he didn't like her.

"Go to my house. No one should be there, it'll be safe for you to stay there. I'll be there later, okay? Then we can talk."

He fumbled with the camera and handed it back to me. "Keep this for now, I don't want her to find it and break it."

I nodded in agreement. He squeezed my hand a final time before smiling and walking off into the distance.

* * *

_The wolves are coming out tonight,_

_don't say you heard this coming._

_The wolves are coming out tonight,_

_oh boy you best be running._

* * *

On my way back to Sasuke's, I got lost. I tried teleporting back, but for some reason I couldn't picture his house anymore. I didn't know why.

My memories weren't stable yet.

I was getting scared because it was getting dark. What if something bad happened? I didn't even have any way of defending myself.

I heard a rustling in the bushes and my head whipped around, my heart hammering against my chest.

"Who's there?" I asked hesitantly.

Yeah right, as if the person would reply.

I heard the rustling again and stopped in my tracks, frozen with fear.

I let out a scream as something jumped out of the bushes and tackled me to the ground. I tried screaming but suddenly, I couldn't.

It was like something was forcing me to keep quiet. I felt a hand clamp down shut over my mouth.

I opened my eyes, straining to see something _anything._

Everything was becoming darker as my oxygen supply got cut off. My head swam with dizziness.

Where was I? What was going on?

I felt hands ripping at my clothes. Helplessly, I squirmed and wiggled, trying to free myself.

But this thing was so heavy. And strong. I couldn't fling it off of me.

I felt hands squeeze my chest, and tears came to my eyes.

Please no, oh god. No, please.

My hands were pinned above my head as my captor straddled my hips. It was a male. I felt him pressing himself against me.

I wanted to vomit.

I wanted to scream.

I wanted to run, anywhere. Just get away.

And suddenly I felt a searing pain rip through my entire body. My eyes widened as I felt a warm liquid trickling down my stomach, my entire body throbbing in pain.

He stabbed me.

I panicked and my wiggling stopping. What if I bled to death? I couldn't ignore the pain, it was too intense. It was like something was tearing my insides apart.

I saw a dark hand coming at my face, aimed to punch.

Please, don't kill me.

Then darkness set in.

* * *

**A/N - sorry for the lateness, school and such is a pain. Goodbye summer break. Review please! Yeah, I'm so bad with cliffhangers, but I try xD **


	12. Everything I Ask For

**Disclaimer - DNON.**

**A/N - I just want to thank all of my amazing reviewers! They really inspire me ! And in leiu of this 100 Review benchmark, I decided to give you a lighter chapter, as opposed to teh ongoing angst that's been going on recently. Hope you enjoy (:**

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Fallen Feathers

**This chapter is dedicated to: AllAboutEnvy - For such an inspiring and heartfelt review. Seriously, it made me cry. **

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**.::Chapter Twelve – Everything I Ask For::.**

_She takes her time with the little things._

_Love notes, reminding me._

_She wears red when she's feeling hot._

_I have her, but that's all I got._

* * *

I didn't know where I was.

I could barely remember _who _I was.

The last thing I remembered was Sasuke. I was with him. And then, nothing. I tried opening my eyes, but soon found that the light shining though was too bright. I closed them again and tried to think.

I stayed unmoving, but even still I could sense a dull throbbing. Everywhere, throughout my body ached. Soreness, but from what? What had happened?

Deciding that I wouldn't get anywhere by lying down, I tried once again to open my eyes. I squinted, trying to make out the room around me. Where was I?

I sat up slowly, carefully.

My head pounded, but I had to focus.

"You should lie back down."

My head swirled, trying to connect voice to face. "My head hurts…" I murmured tiredly. I felt the presence of someone stepping up to me. Was I in bed? It was soft underneath me.

Then there was a light pressure at my shoulders, guiding me back down. I complied, too tired to fight back.

"Where…am…I?" I managed, my throat feeling dry.

"Man, you must really be out of it."

Huh?

My vision was starting to become clear, I was getting accustomed to the light.

Oh, so I was on a bed.

I looked up and around, analyzing my whereabouts.

I was at Sasuke house. _Old _house really. I was in his bed, and he was hovering over me with a somewhat worried, somewhat amused look on his face. I'm glad he found my hysterics amusing. Note the sarcasm.

I wish I could have remembered what happened. I just remember saying that he'd meet me here later…

"What happened?" I asked him.

He sat down at the edge of my bed. "You ask an awful lot of questions for someone who's injured."

I looked at him, my eyes slow and dazed. "Injured?"

That soreness, what was it?

I looked down, noticing bandages wrapped around my torso.

Sasuke's gaze followed my own. He became serious. "I don't know what happened. I just know that I found you bleeding. You don't know who did this to you?"

I shook my head, I hadn't a clue. I couldn't even remember it happening.

I felt Sasuke's hand rest on my knee.

"You're angry." I stated, finally aware of myself and my surroundings.

He sighed heavily, frustrated. "Not angry. Just irritated. I don't know who would have done this to you."

"I don't see why it's a big deal. Can't you heal it with your feathers?"

He shook his head. "I tried already. It didn't work. There was something strange with the weapon used to injure you. I don't know what it was."

From the way his eyes strained, I could tell he was lying. Oh yeah, he could do that now. Maybe he always lied to me. Maybe I wasn't as good at noticing it as I was now.

I shook my head. "I can't remember a thing."

Maybe, subconsciously, I didn't want to remember. Maybe something happened that I shouldn't remember. Maybe I should just go home and pretend I didn't _remember _anything. Maybe it would be better off that way. Maybe I didn't belong in Sasuke's life at all. Maybe I never had.

The funny thing about remembering is that even when you don't, even when you forget, it can't erase the event. Nothing can. It happened and nothing in the world can change that.

Maybe ignorance really is bliss.

I was glad I couldn't remember.

Silently, I thanked my brain for pushing that bad memory out of me.

I stared at Sasuke now, fully taking in his appearance. Before was just a glance, I was mostly focused on the presence of him. Just seeing him after not even remembering who he was. It seemed like an eternity to me.

So much had changed now. I felt as though I didn't fit anywhere with him anymore.

Before I was his owner, his closest and most precious person.

But now that Karin had come along, had all that changed?

Karin. That's right. I had wanted to forget about her too. So very badly. Because in my mind, she wasn't right for him. Perhaps that was only because I wanted to be right for him. But she had lied to him. And he didn't deserve a liar.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

I broke out of my turmoil to meet his steady gaze. My thoughts swirled frantically around my head. So many things I could say to him, yet I couldn't utter a word.

I swallowed.

"I don't know where to begin. Now that I have time to talk to you, it seems like there's so much I need to ask you, need to tell you."

He nodded, allowing his feet to come up onto the bed. He faced me fully now, and I saw the scratches and bruises that adorned his pale skin. I wished I had magical feathers. I'd rip out every one to heal him.

I wanted to call him my Sasuke-kun, just because I could now. I wanted to add the affectionate suffix to the end of his name, because I wanted something to hold on to. Some small anchor that I could recognize. I wanted that.

I needed that.

And yet, it felt so wrong to call him that now. Like we've moved far past that stage, we've matured so much since then. We were different people now, it seemed.

I felt tired.

Even though I just woke up, I could probably fall right back asleep.

* * *

_I don't know what she sees in me, __but she happy._

_ And I'm happy now, t__hat she's with me._

_And I'm freaking out,_

_because I'm just so lucky._

* * *

"Well, you're right that we have time. How much could have happened in a month?"

I could tell he was trying to keep the mood light. He knew me so well. Too well.

I cracked a smile.

In all honesty, I wished I would have been able to get over him. I wished that after remembering, the time away would have given me something to focus on other than him. But I couldn't let him go, and I was pathetic because of that. I knew it too.

Because right now, all I could think of was kissing him.

"Let's start with you." I decided.

My heart pounded against my chest. I wanted to tell him that I broke up with Naruto. But really now, what would that accomplish? What was I expecting? For me to tell him and then for him to magically just grab me and kiss me senseless.

No, but that's what I wished for.

"Alright." He agreed, easy enough. I could tell he wanted to move past my injury, but he wouldn't forget about it. He'd find out who did it.

I leaned against the pillows, watching silently the way his lips moved when he spoke.

"As you can tell, Ami is a far cry from you. You've spoiled me." I watched him smile, but I could tell it was fake. He was suffering.

Did I really want to hear about this?

Without thinking, I grabbed hold of his hand, entwining our fingers. "I'm sorry."

He tilted his head. "It's not your fault and you know it."

I bit my lip. I just wanted to take him away from this lifestyle. I didn't realize how I was protecting him before. And how helpless I was now. I couldn't do anything about Ami. And I didn't want to know more about what she did to him.

"How's Karin?" I asked spontaneously, to get off the subject.

He shrugged. "I wouldn't know, really. Haven't seen much of her."

He tried saying this casually, but there was some hidden emotion behind those words. Something I couldn't decipher.

"Why not?"

He let out a hollow laugh. "Many reasons. For one, does it really look like Ami would let me have friends? I'm not even supposed to be here with you."

I squeezed his hand. "Then what are you doing? You're going to get in trouble. You're going to get hurt…"

I didn't want him hurting on my behalf.

He smiled, assuring me. "No, I won't. She's only a child after all. Children need their sleep."

I exhaled slowly, suddenly nervous. What if she caught us together?

He took my silence as an invitation to continue. "Also, I was still bitter about what she did. She tried apologizing, but I know what she said to you. I know she hurt you." He shook his head. "I can't understand women, or why they find the need to fight over such trivial things. She was angry that you kissed me."

Good, that's what I wanted her to feel. Anger and jealousy. If you asked me, what I did was pretty badass.

However, I couldn't understand why he thought _love _was a trivial matter.

"So, you broke up?" I breathed.

His voice was distant. "More or less."

I took a deep breath. "I broke up with Naruto."

I felt his eyes shift to me, curiously. He probably knew why, but he asked anyway.

"After I remembered everything, I started to feel guilty. I never told you this of course, but I only went out with Naruto to forget you." That was only half the reason, but I wasn't ready to tell him that I also wanted to make him jealous. I wasn't sure I'd ever tell him that. I didn't want him to think I was that low.

"It didn't work. I mean, I wanted it to, because honestly, who wants to be in love with someone you can't have? Not me. Certainly not me. And when I remembered, everything came crashing back – the pain, the guilt – twice as hard. I couldn't put him through that anymore."

It may seem like that was easy for me to say. Easy for me to discuss my feelings for him so openly. I rushed them out really. Afraid that if I didn't get it over with – say it quickly – that I wouldn't say it at all.

This time I didn't wait for his reply. "And it's stupid. Because really, how could I still love you, even now, after spending time away from you? How can I sit here, and look at you, wanting nothing more than to take you away from here. To run away with you, and be happy. Make _you _happy."

And be together.

What a fantasy that was.

Wake up call, this isn't a fantasy. It's the real world.

"I always wondered if you did what you did just to make me feel better. If you lied, because you didn't want to hurt me. Or because you had to. I never knew if you were doing it because you wanted to, or because you had to."

Bravely, I met his gaze. He was absorbing everything I was saying, but his eyes remained blank.

"But now, it's different. Now, there is no Rule Book. The _Potenes _don't know I'm here. Nobody else is in the picture," I leaned forward, ignoring the pain I felt in my stomach from my wound, "So tell me Sasuke, how do you really feel?"

It was so bold of me to ask him outright.

I must've been setting myself up for disaster. He looked torn. He didn't know what to say.

"I missed you," he began hesitantly. Quietly, "I missed you a lot. And there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think about you. Where you were, what you were up to. Were you happy, were you smiling? Was the pain gone? Part of the reason I took your diary was because I didn't want you to remember. I knew it would only bring back the pain."

My vision was blurring. I wiped my eyes, surprised to find them wet with tears.

He didn't love me.

And I just made a fool of myself.

"I was happy and thankful to have met you, Sakura. I don't know what I would have done without you. But I spent time thinking, and I wondered what would happen if you came back. Things would be different, surely. I know what you want. It's not much different from what I want."

My heart thudded so loudly in my ears; I could barely hear his voice. But my eyes were glued to his lips.

"And what do I want?" I asked him breathlessly.

He regarded me carefully. "You want a lot of things. But for one, right now I know that you want to kiss me."

I blinked, astonished and looked up at his eyes. He seemed half smug and half amused.

"You're practically staring at my lips."

I blushed furiously, and looked away, crossing my arms in embarrassment.

I heard a small chuckle, but it ended shortly. Then his hands unwound my arms from across my chest. "Also, you want to live happily ever after."

"Don't we all?" I murmured, unable to stop myself.

He nodded. "But most of all, you want me to come back with you to your world."

I squeezed my eyes shut. "I just want to make you happy."

"Not everyone has that ability. You're one of the few people that does." He whispered.

With my eyes closed, his voice sounded closer than it was before. "Sasuke..."

I wanted him more than anything right now. I had been denied from him for so long, and I just wanted to take him. All of him. All for myself.

"I don't…understand…how you do this to me…" I murmured.

* * *

_Oh, she makes me feel like shit, it's always something._

_But I can't get over it, she thinks it's nothing._

_Cause she's everything I ask for, everything I ask for,_

_And just a little bit more._

_Everything I ask for, everything I ask for,_

_And so much more._

* * *

He blinks softly, "Do what?"

I can't even explain it to him. I can't explain the feelings he's making me feel, no matter how hard I try. It's impossible. "Make me want you so much."

He leaned back, causing me to somewhat regain my senses. "I didn't do anything."

"I know. That's what makes it more frustrating." I sighed, and allowed myself to take a few deep breaths. "You said what I want and what you want aren't that different. So, what do you want?"

I wished I could read his mind. "I wanted to get over you. I wasn't lying when I told you I loved you. We both knew that we couldn't be together, and we both tried moving past our feelings. After all, we are only teenagers. We're bound to feel some sort of attraction towards each other."

But Sasuke, I'm not just attracted to you.

"How couldn't I have loved you? You were all that I knew. What my whole life was based around. Things _have _changed, but my feelings for you haven't."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Then why," I asked almost breathlessly, "do you try so hard to ignore those feelings now. We don't have to be careful anymore."

It seemed like he knew something I didn't.

"That's where you're wrong, Sakura. Now we have to be ten times more careful."

"But _why_?" How could it be that I was still acting like a child?

"Because now, I have a new owner that could catch us together. Now I have Karin, who would do anything to hurt you if she knew you were back. Now, I have Madara…" he trailed off.

"Madara?" I questioned, concern laced in my voice.

He shook his head. "Never mind him."

I bit my lip, wondering what he was keeping from me. But I couldn't waste my time arguing with him. I couldn't.

"If you really loved me, then why did you act so indifferent to me that last week?" I lowered my gaze, saddened. "Why were you so…distant?"

He bent his head down so that I could see him properly. "I had to. Do you think I could have let you go, that I could have made you forget, if I allowed my feelings take over? I had to act indifferent. Otherwise your hard work would have been for nothing. The _Potenes _were watching us the entire time. If they would have seen us…they wouldn't have let either one of us get away."

I clenched my fist. "It hurt. I thought you hated me."

He laughed nervously. "Hate you? How could I ever hate you?"

"You didn't want me to do what I did." I pointed out.

"Right, because I knew they would hurt you." His hand came up to smooth over my cheek. "Do you really think I could have ever hated you?"

I leaned into his touch. "I don't know."

He came closer. "You're crazy."

I nodded, "Yeah."

His hand moved, brushing across my nose, and then moving my bangs out of my face. His touch ignited something within me. Something I hadn't felt in a long time. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

"I still want to kiss you." I sighed.

My eyes watched his movements carefully. He contemplated my words before choosing his own.

"Yes, I know."

That wasn't a good enough answer.

"Do you want to kiss me?"

"Undeniably."

That really, was all the answer I needed.

This time, he wouldn't have to do anything he didn't want to. This time, he could pull away at any moment. This time, what we were doing wouldn't be illegal. This time, I would savor the moment.

"Then do it."

I looked at him for a long moment, watching as he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, I saw a burning desire hidden behind them. I hadn't seen him get aggressive all that much, but when he did, it always excited me. It was like I was witnessing a new side of him, exploring a new part of him. I secretly loved it.

Careful not to hurt my stomach, he crawled over to me, hovering above my body. I leaned back instinctively, my head hitting the pillow. He loomed over me, his bangs tickling my face. Compared to our first kiss, he seemed so experienced now, something that was no doubt Karin's doing. I didn't like that one bit. Because that led to the question of whether or not they had sex. And right now, I didn't want to think about that.

So I pushed all thoughts aside, ready to relish the moment.

There was nothing else. Just him. He was all I ever needed. All I ever wanted.

And slowly, almost hesitantly, he lowered his head.

This time, he would be kissing me.

All the other times, I had initiated it.

I had been the one to kiss him. But this time, as he lowered his lips to mine, gently at first, all I could think was that _he _was doing this to me.

Not the other way around.

My fingers tangled in his dark hair, pulling him closer to me. If I wasn't careful, I might lose control of myself.

I parted my lips, not wasting any time. The pleasure that pulsed through my veins, ignited as soon as his lips met mine. It spread like wildfire throughout my body, making me crave every inch of him. I wondered how he could do this to me with a mere kiss.

He touched his tongue to mine, and the gentleness was lost.

Both our bodies reacted on their own, begging for more of each other. His hands rested on my hips, gripping. I couldn't breathe, but I didn't want to.

His lips moved with mine, urging me to continue.

The passion was there, and there was no denying that. I clung to him, trying to hold onto what little sanity I had left. My hands smoothed across his shoulders and back, feeling his skin. In reality, it was warm, but to me, his skin burned.

And when we finally parted, he rest his forehead against mine, both of us panting heavily. His lips found my neck, licking, kissing. Tasting.

Right now, I didn't care if what we were doing was right or wrong.

I leaned my head back, allowing him better access as he trailed down to my collarbone, sucking my skin.

"Sasuke…" I breathed, my eyes squeezing shut.

"Hmm?" he asked lazily.

"Don't stop…" I pleaded.

And he didn't.

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**A/N - Ohh another Author's Note down here? Yehhp n_n Just cause I can. Tehee, hope you enjoyed the chapter. PS - Anyone on here have a gaia? If so, tell me who you are and add me ! (Username: Vampirette_Knight)**

**Review, my lovelies (: **


	13. Sing to Me

**Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto.**

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Fallen Feathers

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**.::Chapter Thirteen – Sing to Me::.**

_I don't really know just where to start,_

_it's harder when we're standing miles apart._

_If I could dream, _

_I'd paint a scene,_

_but there is too much noise._

**

* * *

**

Waking up with no idea where you are – as I've come to realize – isn't perhaps all that bad. I woke up now, feeling content and satisfied. I woke up feeling light and carefree. Attempting to sit up brought me back to reality. I squeezed my stomach painfully, remembering my injury. Whoever did that was intentionally out to get me.

I blinked a few times, adjusting to the brightness of the room. I felt a rustle to my right and my head turned instinctively, only to find a tousled black mess sticking out of the covers.

Sasuke.

A blush crept up my cheeks as I remembered last night. We hadn't gone _all the way_, but with the way things were going, we could have easily. If there wasn't that one thing stopping us.

In my opinion, I thought it'd be a great idea if Sasuke became human. He had even once suggested it himself. Perhaps it was a rash and uncalculated decision, but he said it nonetheless. Now – however – he wasn't so adverse to the idea.

There was most definitely something he wasn't telling me. And it had to do with Madara. I figured that I'd get it out of him soon enough.

It was a shame I didn't know where his Rule Book was. I was trying to find a loophole for him. Something to get him out of his owner's hands, and back into mine. Ami treated him horribly.

As if to rectify my point, I noticed bruises on his arm. My fingers danced across the skin lightly, wishing I had the healing ability that he had.

For now, I would just bask in the moment. Take everything one step at a time.

My body shifted towards his as I pulled the covers off of his face. I rest my head against his chest, listening to his steady breaths.

And before I knew it, I was lulled back into a lumber I hadn't realized how badly I needed.

I opened my eyes, still dazed. It had to be late. Sasuke was up and out of bed, and I was in a twisted position. Vaguely, I felt a distinct throbbing from my side and I remembered my injury. Turning my body so that my uninjured side was on the mattress, I heaved a sigh.

It wasn't long before Sasuke was in the room, a warm wash cloth in his hands. Surveying my surroundings more carefully than I had last night, I wondered who kept the place tidy while Sasuke was away.

I blinked as he knelt down beside the bed.

"You're up." He intoned blankly. I nodded, too lazy to form any other response. I felt him tug the covers away from my body, and a burst of cool air chilled my skin, giving me goose bumps. I shivered involuntarily.

Then, I felt him undo the bandages at my side and carefully press the warm washcloth against them, gently cleaning my wounds.

"I really wish this would heal," he murmured, mostly to himself.

Finally able to move my lips, I stared at him as he worked diligently. "You know who did this, don't you?"

It was funny how I always accused him of things.

"I have an idea." He responded honestly, his tone not void of bitter anger.

"You better not do anything stupid." I whispered warningly.

He said nothing, but dabbed at the wound intently. After a few moments of silence his movements ceased, and he rest the warm cloth across my stomach. His gaze traveled to mine.

"Things are different, Sakura."

This was the first time he said my name without the suffix. Without feeling guilty afterward. Instead of muttering the forgotten suffix like he would have in the past, he continued to pierce my eyes with his smoldering gaze, never faltering.

I wondered if it was good or bad that he wouldn't call me _–hime _anymore. But I wouldn't dwell on it, because wasn't that what I had wanted?

There was something bittersweet about this moment, and I didn't know how to respond to him. I couldn't comfort him because I didn't even know what was going on anymore.

I smiled brokenly. "This is hopeless."

He exhaled softly, "Maybe."

After a moment, he asked if I was hungry. I nodded and he walked into the kitchen and fixed me something to eat.

"How come this place is being kept up?" I asked, gratefully taking my plate.

"It's mine until someone comes along and buys it. Ami knows I come here a lot. I always wondered if you'd get my note."

I nodded, slowly sitting u as I took in a mouthful of cereal. Food here wasn't the same as food on Earth, but it wasn't bad.

"They got results back you know." Sasuke suddenly remembered.

I gave him a confused look.

"From the experiments."

I swallowed. "Really?"

That was interesting.

He nodded. "Apparently the ability is in your genes. It's been passed down from your family."

My eyes widened as the spoon slipped out of my hand and into the bowl. "You mean…?"

He nodded. "Your mother knew about this place before we told her. She came here."

I lowered the bowl to my lap, in awe. "That means she had an angel…"

"I knew he reacted too calmly when you introduced me. No normal person would be able to accept someone with _wings _so easily."

I frowned. "But I did." I quipped.

He nodded. "But you were young. Kids are more accepting of different things than adults are. They're not judgmental."

I ran my tongue along my teeth, thinking. "Do you think my dad was her angel then?" my eyes sparked up, suddenly hopeful. If my mom could pull it off, then maybe I could live with Sasuke too in my world.

"I was thinking about that." He admitted. "Also, depending on certain, predicaments, whether or not you're half angel."

"Half angel? How's that possible?" my brows furrowed.

He stood and sat at the edge of the bed, looking off into space. "Obviously your father is human _now, _but if he was an angel still when they bonded, and if that's when your mother conceived you, then it's possible I suppose."

"I didn't even know half angels existed."

He shook his head. "Neither did I. Maybe they don't, it's just a guess."

I tilted my head, looking at him waiting for him to meet my gaze. "You mean it's not in the Rule Book then?"

He didn't hesitate as he shook his head, "No."

I picked up my bowl, and resumed eating, considering this. "Huh…"

If my mom was able to come here, and my dad was her angel, then why didn't she forget about him like I did Sasuke? And why didn't the _Potenes _know about her?

I was going to have to ask my mom some questions.

Sasuke took good care of me over the next couple days. I stayed in his world – except to pop into mine and tell my mother that I was with Sasuke so she wouldn't worry. I didn't want her to know about my injury, so I made sure I was all healed before I returned for good. Sasuke went back to Ami's, but checked on me as often as he could.

We hadn't kissed since that first night, and I was okay with that. For once, I had bigger things worrying me. Primarily about my mother. Also about Madara, but I knew I'd have to wait for that one.

* * *

_So, would you sing to me?_

_Would you sing to me?_

_Cause I can feel a part of me,_

_starting to break._

_And when you are away from me it's harder to breathe._

* * *

Once I was finally healed, I decided to go back home, promising Sasuke I'd come back and let him know what my mom said. I told him to behave for Ami, because I didn't like seeing him hurt.

When I got back to my house, I wasn't surprised that my mother wasn't home.

I was surprised, however, to see that I had over twenty missed calls from Naruto. I stared at my phone, guilt washing through my system. I couldn't afford to face him now. I knew I was being a coward, but I just couldn't deal with _that _right now.

I waited for my mother to get home, feeling impatient.

Finally, after waiting almost all day, she burst through the door, looking disheveled and exhausted.

"Oh, Sakura dear, you're back."

I nodded. "Yeah. Sorry about going away, but it was…important."

She nodded, "I understand." She seemed a little apprehensive, almost as if she knew I knew something.

"Mom, I have to ask you something." I blurted out.

I think she knew what was coming. Maybe I was just imagining it though. She nodded.

"Alright sweetie, let me just change and put this stuff away."

I agreed and waited for her in my bedroom, knowing she'd knock when she was ready.

Another half hour of waiting, and my heart was racing to know the answers to my questions. Was I half angel? And if I was, would there be some way to get past the rules? Would I even be able to turn Sasuke human?

My mother hesitantly opened the doorknob to my room silently, and slid into my room, coming to sit on the bed next to me. I swallowed silently, turning to face her.

"What did you want to talk about?" she asked pleasantly. I couldn't help but wonder if maybe she really _was _clueless about what I was thinking.

I was never good with these sort of things. I couldn't get straight to the point.

"Well, " I began tentatively, "I was wondering if well…" A pause, then, "I was wondering if you've ever been to Sasuke's world."

The words were rushed and jumbled, as if I was a toddler trying to from my first sentence. I watched as my mother's carefully placed smile fell from her face, and a look of mild horror replaced it.

"What do you mean…?" she frowned, her eyebrows knotting together.

"The _Potenes _never knew about you," I stated boldly, "but they told me my ability ran in my genes. They said –"

Just then my mother stood up abruptly, her mere actions cutting off my sentence.

"Sakura, this isn't the time to talk about this." She looked around the room nervously, and I wondered why.

"But mom! This is important!" I protested desperately. "Was dad you angel mom? Was he? Am I…" I trailed off, feeling tears well up in my eyes. Why didn't she _tell _me?

"That's enough." She stated softly, yet firm. Her gaze met mine, furious and regretful. I'd never seen her this angry with me before, and it scared me. Without further adieu, she walked out of my room and shut the door behind her with a quiet _click. _

It didn't matter that she didn't answer me.

Her silence was answer enough.

* * *

_If I could sleep,_

_it's you and me,_

_The distance keeps me up._

_Come set me free,_

_I need to feel your touch._

* * *

"You're wrong, you know…" My mother stated later that evening at dinner. I blinked, wondering what she meant.

"Your father was not my angel." Her tone was almost bitter, but more sad.

I looked at her in understanding. She must have had to forget her angel. "What happened?" I asked anyway, eager to get as much information out of her as I possibly could. At least I wasn't half angel, then.

"My angel's name was Deidara."

My eyes widened immensely. "But mom, Deidara is –"

She looked at me evenly, obviously trying to hold back her emotions. "I know. He was different, then."

Her voice was fond.

I waited quietly for her to elaborate. "I was fourteen when I first met him." Her voice was far away, delving her memories, and reliving them at the same time. She was a lot older than me when she met her angel. "He wasn't even _mine _really. His owner died. He didn't know what to do, and he didn't want to go to the _Potenes, _so he chose to be with me. He was always rebellious, but he'd never give me away. I didn't ever reveal myself to the _Potenes, _so I didn't know about the rules. I fell for him. I loved him. And Deidara never told me we weren't allowed to be together. He thought he could get away with anything."

I watched her, partly in awe, but mostly in shock. The Deidara I knew was far different from the one my mother knew. I was curious to know how he even became a part of them, when he was against them in the beginning.

"What happened?" I pressed eagerly. She smiled at my interest and continued.

"He didn't realize…he never even read the Rule Book." My mother then blushed, and I blinked, in confusion. "He didn't know he'd…become human…" she trailed off, hoping I would understand the implication.

I did.

My mother bonded (had sex) with Deidara. That's disgusting.

I wrinkled my nose and her voice was nervous as she continued. "When they came…he told me to never come back. He told me to never visit there again, because they'd hurt me. And him. So I listened."

"What? Is that why you never forgot about him?"

My mother shrugged. "I would imagine. We didn't go by the Rules with anything really."

I considered this then asked, "So you could still go back today?"

But she was shaking her head before I even finished my sentence. "I've forgotten how, Sakura. I wouldn't want to go back anyway. From the looks of it, Deidara isn't the same person I knew him to be."

"You're right, he's not. He's part of the _Potenes _now."

Something in my mom looked pained at that point, so I didn't tell her about what they did to Sasuke and me.

I looked down, suddenly realizing something. "You loved him?"

Her voice was hush. "Indefinitely."

"So Dad…?"

"– Was someone that I learned to love in time. It wasn't the initial passion, but more so a slow forming adoration."

Like Naruto, I thought with conviction. Would I have to give up Sasuke, just like my mother had to give up Deidara?

But, things were different with us. We knew better, maybe.

"I'm sorry I kept this from you, but I was scared to tell you. And when you forgot about Sasuke, I honestly didn't know _why. _How is he by the way?"

I shrugged. "It's alright, mom. But his new owner sucks. She treats him horribly."

And he's keeping something from me.

"I'm sure you'll figure something out, Sakura. You've fought harder for him that I had for Deidara."

I smiled and nodded numbly.

"I hope so."

* * *

_I don't really know just where you are,_

_it's harder when I'm here and I'm all alone._

_Don't wake me up, __I can't get enough,_

_I need to hear your voice._

* * *

"So you're not half angel?"

I shook my head, swinging my legs back and forth.

Sasuke sat there in contemplation, and frowned. "That means Deidara isn't all that much older than us. He's probably around your mom's age. I wonder if at one point, all the _Potenes _were angels. That would surely cause an uprising if the general public knew about that."

I nodded. Now that I didn't have to worry about me possibly being half angel, or wondering if my mother knew about this place, I could focus on a more important matter.

"What did Madara tell you? Before, you said we'd have to be ten times more careful, because of Madara. Why?"

Sasuke sighed and held my hand carefully. "You shouldn't concern yourself with that. It'll make you worry unnecessarily."

"Sasuke, you know me." I stated, loosening my hand from his grasp. He nodded.

"I know. After you left, he came to me. He told me he was going to keep an eye on me, because he didn't trust us. Rightfully so."

I bit my lip and nodded. "When will this be over?"

He shrugged.

"Why can't we just run away?" I asked helplessly.

He smiled distantly. "Not that easy."

I thought it was a perfect idea. I thought it was easy. I thought it would work. But he, of course, didn't.

"Did Ami ask to see the Rule Book?" I wondered softly.

"Asked? She more like demanded."

I frowned. Part of me wished I could see it again.

I looked up at Sasuke, and in that moment, my head began to pound. I closed my eyes tightly and gripped my head.

Images of the other night were crashing down on me. The shadow, attacking me. Stabbing me, ripping at my clothes.

And I felt a surge of pain run down my spine and settle in my abdomen.

My eyes shot open.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke asked, alarmed.

I blinked back tears, looking at him sadly. Did he…rape me? What _happened? _Why would he…

"Sakura, please answer me."

His eyes were frantic and all I could do was choke back a small sob, trying to rebanish the thoughts from my head.

It felt as thought his hands were all over me. I rubbed my arms nervously.

"Sasuke," I croaked, my voice quivering.

"What is it?" his voice was quiet, straining to hear me.

"I know who did it. I know who hurt me."

* * *

**Sneak Peak of Chapter Fourteen – Extra Terrestrial **

"My, my Sakura, you're much more sneaky than I've given you credit for. I must applaud you."

I glared at him, clenching my fists.

"Go to hell." I spat back.

All I could hear was his maniacal laughter and his piercing red eyes.

"You should think before you speak. Would you really want to go through another round of _that?_"

I shut my eyes tightly, avoiding his eyes. "You're disgusting."

I heard him step closer to me and grab my chin swiftly, forcing me to look at him. "But Sakura, my dear, Sasuke has the Sharingan as well."

"Liar."

Madara smiled evilly.

"Why don't you ask him for yourself?"

I turned my head to see Sasuke standing there, his eyes not the familiar black that I knew them to be, but spinning the same crimson red that Madara's did.

* * *

**A/N - Wow, um, no excuses? Promise it won't take this long for another chapter. Really sorry about this guys. Happy late Thanksgiving. Does anyone like this fic enough do to fanart? Probably not, but it'd be cool.**

**Review please (:**


	14. Extra Terestrial

**A/N - Terribly sorry for the lateness...my laptop charger is broken w **

**

* * *

**

.::Fallen Feathers::.

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen – Extra Terrestrial **

_You're from a whole other world,_

_a different dimension._

_You open my eyes,_

_and I'm ready to go, lead me into the light._

_

* * *

_

I clenched my fists on the bed, unable to find my voice.

Sasuke stared at me, wide-eyed and surprised.

"You…do?" he pressed, leaning towards me. I thought he knew who did it to me? Maybe I was wrong after all. I swallowed and nodded, clutching the bed sheets.

"Madara…" I shuddered at the thought of his name.

Sasuke's face contorted into the most beautiful angry expression I'd ever seen.

"_What?" _he hissed venomously.

I bit my lip, closing my eyes. Yes, it was definitely his face that came to my mind. His voice…yes. It was him, I was sure of it. I didn't reply, because honestly the way he said it, made it sound like a rhetorical question.

"Just forget about it." I murmured. Kami only knows I was trying to. Sasuke shook his head before I even finished my sentence.

"I really can't."

Carefully, I took Sasuke's hand trying to calm him. I wasn't even sure my memory was true. What if I was hallucinating? I didn't know. All I knew was that I was sore.

My eyes froze on his face. "Wait," I whispered slowly, confused. He stared blankly at me. "Didn't you say you had an idea of who did this?"

He nodded. "My idea wasn't right."

I gasped. "So that means there's more than one person here _out to get me?_" I half shrieked. This place was becoming too dangerous…

Sasuke shook his head. "No, no. I just thought it was a centaur. You know how violent they can become."

I relaxed (a little) and nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

Sasuke glanced at me and squeezed his hand in mine. I smiled reassuringly. It seemed like the two of us had been to Hell and back, and in some ways we had.

I had reassurance in the fact that his face looked sincere. He wouldn't bullshit me (at least I didn't think so) and I trusted him with my life.

Then a thought came to my mind.

"Sasuke…I have to ask you a question. But I don't want you to get mad at me."

I looked at him bravely, confident. He regarded me carefully, a bit wary of what I could possibly ask. He nodded unsurely.

"What is it…"

The way he said it made it seem like he didn't really want to know. But I had to ask him. So I took a deep breath.

"I need you to take me to Madara."

He paled, but remained still and silent. Finally he murmured, "That wasn't a question."

He was being stubborn. I furrowed my brows, rephrasing my statement. "_Can _you take me to Madara?" I insisted.

He swallowed. "Why?"

I averted my gaze. "I need to talk to him. Need to figure out why he would do something like this. Also, I'm not really sure if I'm remembering everything correctly. I could have been imagining…" I trailed off, hoping that I was right, but not really believing it.

"I hope so." Was all that he said. Then, reluctantly he stood. "Hurry up before I change my mind."

I stood and gripped his hand. "Will Ami be mad?"

He snorted. "Honestly, I could care less."

I wasn't sure what to expect when we reached the palace. But I knew they weren't expecting to see _me. _Even still, they had no choice but to allow me in. That was part of the deal they made me when I was younger. That I be allowed in the palace at all times.

As we walked through the halls, I could tell that Sasuke was becoming apprehensive.

"Don't worry, Sasuke. You can't get in trouble." I assured.

He looked down. "I wouldn't be so sure."

But I was fierce with determination, and after all I went through, I wouldn't allow them to put another finger on him. The memory of him being tortured burned in my mind, and I cringed trying to banish the thoughts away.

The first person I ran into was – what a coincidence – Deidara. I so badly wanted to speak to him about my mother, and knew that I would eventually. A thousand questions burned in the back of my mind as I bit back my tongue. Right now I had a more important issue on my mind.

"Sakura-san. I wasn't expecting to see you anytime soon, yeah?"

Every time I looked at him, I saw my mother with him. I blinked, forcing the image away. My mother was with my dad now, and she was damn well happy.

"Likewise," I responded dryly, cutting to the chase, "where's Madara?"

"My, my. A little impatient are we? Wouldn't you like to talk? After all, it's been a while." Deidara averted his gaze to Sasuke, who stubbornly looked down. He was such a coward in front of the _Potenes _and that always pissed me off. They weren't as high and mighty as they claimed to be.

"I'd love to. But I have things to do. Maybe another time, because there's actually something I _would _like to discuss with you." I crossed my arms.

His eyebrow raised in question. "Really now? Well, I'll be looking forward to it. Follow me."

I looked at Sasuke, to make sure he was following me. I didn't want anyone grabbing him. I knew he was most vulnerable here.

Deidara led us to a large room – one in which I hadn't seen before. It was like every time I was here, I was discovering new areas. This place was enormous.

"Madara-sama, you have a visitor."

I watched as Madara sat on one of those huge red recliners. Kinda like the ones you see old men sitting in near a fireplace in a huge rich house. Except he wasn't smoking a pipe. But he was reading a book. I had a hunch that he sort of expected me.

"Ah, Sakura. What a pleasant surprise."

I refrained from mumbling a 'yeah, I bet.'

Instead I smiled back just as fake. Deidara left us.

"Sasuke, perhaps you should wait outside." Madara suggested.

"No." I said defiantly.

Madara merely smiled. "Trust me; I think it's in his best interest."

I grit my teeth, but nonetheless agreed. "Fine, but you won't lay a finger on him."

Madara nodded easily. "Sure, sure. Nothing to your precious Sasuke-kun." He grinned.

Oh, fuck him.

Sasuke quietly exited the room.

"Sakura, why don't you take a seat?" he suggested sugary sweet. Sickeningly sweet. I sat, my back straight and ridged.

"Why did you attack me?" I demanded.

He laughed. "Never beat around the bush do you Sakura?" He calmed down and stared at me for a moment before he turned abruptly serious, leaning in close to me and lowering his voice down to a whisper. "Fine, I'll tell you. It's because you're not supposed to be here. You've found a way every single time to break our rules, and I don't like it one bit. You're an outsider that has no respect for this world, just like your mother."

My eyes widened. "You knew about my mother?"

"Of course. I know about everything. The reason I didn't intervene was because I allowed Deidara to handle it as he saw fit."

I clenched my fists. "What did you do?"

He leaned back, more at ease now. "I made a deal with him. If he left your mother, I'd allow him to become one of us. A part of the _Potenes. _He was all to eager to drop your mother after I offered him something like that."

"You bribed him." I growled.

He shrugged, accepting this. "He really couldn't have loved your mother all that much if he was willing to give her up so easily. Unfortunately, Sasuke's more stubborn than Deidara. He wouldn't accept my offer."

I couldn't swallow. "you…offered him that…to get rid of me…?"

He sighed and nodded. "Yes, but that stubborn little rat didn't accept. And I couldn't hurt him, since it was part of our," he gestured between us, "agreement. I am a man of my word."

I crossed my arms. "Would you like a round of applause?"

This was too much to handle. Now more than ever I wanted to smack Deidara and ask him, _what the hell were you thinking?_

And Sasuke…that's what he meant when he had said that Madara talked to him. Madara had offered him a chance to be free, if he just got rid of me. I felt a stinging sensation in my eyes but I refused to let any weakness show in front of this man.

"Please, grant me one question. How, pray tell, were you able to regain your memories?" Madara seemed genuinely curious.

I glanced away. "I had his feather. And my mom knew about him. I took precautions."

He shook his head. "Of course. That's why you shouldn't have known you were going to forget your memories."

I snapped. "You're pissed you plan didn't work right?"

He turned angry suddenly. "You think you're so smart? Just because you figured it out? My dear, this is only the beginning. Don't think you've won just yet."

"Karin was on your side the whole time."

He nodded.

"My, my Sakura, you're much more sneaky than I've given you credit for. I must applaud you."

I glared at him, clenching my fists.

"Go to hell." I spat back.

All I could hear was his maniacal laughter and his piercing red eyes.

"You should think before you speak. Would you really want to go through another round of _that?_"

I shut my eyes tightly, avoiding his eyes. "You're disgusting."

I heard him step closer to me and grab my chin swiftly, forcing me to look at him. "But Sakura, my dear, Sasuke has the Sharingan as well."

"Liar."

Madara smiled evilly.

"Why don't you ask him for yourself?"

I turned my head to see Sasuke standing there, his eyes not the familiar black that I knew them to be, but spinning the same crimson red that Madara's did.

"Sasuke…when did you…get in here?"

I hadn't even heard him walk in.

He looked possessed. As if it wasn't really him in there.

I shot my gaze back at Madara. "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing, my dear. This is all Sasuke. This is a part of who he is."

I shook my head. "No, Sasuke is not like this. He wouldn't act like this."

Madara sat down, as if to watch a show. "I wouldn't be so sure about that." And suddenly, Sasuke lunged for me. I gasped wildly as Sasuke's hands gripped my neck.

"Sasuke…w-what are you doing?" I tried to pry his hand away from me, but to no avail. I could feel the oxygen slowly cutting off, and my heart beat pounded in my ears. I shut my eyes tightly.

"Sasuke, please! Stop this!"

When I opened my eyes to look into his, the blacks of his eyes were spinning madly. He leaned in close and I felt myself losing consciousness.

"Sasuke, Sasuke…please…don't do this..."

I felt his hands squeeze tighter around my neck as everything faded to black.

* * *

_Kiss me, k-k-kiss me,_

_Infect me with your love and _

_fill me with your poison._

_

* * *

_

I awoke in a sweat. My heart raced. What…happened?

"Did you have fun?"

Madara.

I sat up, my head spinning from attempting to sit up too fast. I held my head tightly, feeling the pounding.

"What…did you do to me?"

He leaned close to my level. "I showed you the sharingan."

I gasped, attempting to level out my breathing. I couldn't formulate words. Luckily, he probably knew this, because he began to speak again.

"I can make you see anything I want. I can make you feel pain when there is none. I can control everything around us. Even time. A second in the real world can be days if I want."

I quivered. "But…h-how?"

"The sharingan, my dear. I keep telling you. You thought that everything was real, didn't you? It's a perfect illusion. You wouldn't even know it was fake, if I didn't tell you. You'd pass a lie detector test, swearing it was real, when it wasn't."

My breathing slowed to a normal pace, and I was able to hear him more clearly over my erratic heartbeat. So Sasuke was okay. He didn't attack me…

Thank God.

Slowly, I lifted my head. I was exhausted.

"You should really ask Sasuke about it sometime. For now though, I think it's best that you leave. I'm still deciding on what to do with you. But be warned, you're not off the hook. You will pay for the crimes you've committed."

"You attacked me. I already paid for that."

I stood, wobbly, leaning against the wall, when I heard his voice. "I didn't attack you. That was the Sharingan as well."

I flinched. "But what about…?" My hand shot to my side where the wound was. He glanced down.

"Well, that part was me. But nothing else that you saw." He looked at me deeply, silently confirming my worst fear. I shivered. So he didn't …rape me. I breathed, calming down. I'd only imagined it.

But, if felt so _real. _This Sharingan – I could tell – was his ultimate weapon. And the only reason Sasuke hadn't fall subject to it was because he had one of his own. But maybe he did experience it. I wouldn't know.

"Leave." He commanded. I didn't waste any time exiting the room, still feeling dizzy.

Sasuke was waiting outside, a concerned and anxious look spread across his face. When he saw me, he immediately rushed to my side.

"Sakura, are you alright? What happened?"

I smiled weakly at him, allowing him to support my weight. I buried my face in his neck, wrapping my arms around him. I felt a few tears slip out of my eyes, drenching his shirt.

"Sakura?" He was alarmed now. I knew it. I didn't want to worry him, but I couldn't control the sobbing that escaped me at this point.

I'm not sure how long we stood there, in the palace with me crying and him holding me, but eventually we pulled apart.

I looked at him tiredly, my eyes heavy and red. Probably swollen and ugly looking too. But I was too exhausted to care.

"Sasuke," I murmured softly. I wasn't even sure that he heard me, because I couldn't even hear myself.

"Yeah?" he asked softly.

"Let's go home."


	15. Somewhere I Belong

**disclaimer - Don't own Naruto. Oh, and they better find Kishimoto soon ! Pray for Japan, guys. This chapter is dedicated to all the people that lost their lives in the tsunami. **

* * *

Fallen Feathers

* * *

**.::Chapter Fifteen – Somewhere I Belong::.**

_When this began,_

_I had nothing to say._

_I'd just get lost in the emptiness inside of me._

_And I let it all out to find,_

_that I'm not the only person with these things in mine._

**

* * *

**

I smiled.

It was pretty amazing – to me at least – that after everything that happened, Naruto would still want to be my friend. I knew that I didn't deserve it. His friendship. I knew that if I were him, I definitely wouldn't have enough courage for that.

But he did.

That made me confident that he'd find happiness one day soon. He'd find someone to open up his big heart to, and love. And then hopefully, there'd still be room for me somewhere in there.

Besides, I already knew someone that was crushing on him.

Hinata was a nice girl.

Shy, but nice. If maybe she'd break out of her shell just a bit, Naruto would see her for the amazing girl that she really is.

I could picture them together. They were complete opposites, of course, but they'd complement each other. I just wished Naruto would be able to meet Sasuke one day. I knew they'd get along well.

"Hey, Saku-chan! Stop spacing out, will ya? You're practically letting me win!" Naruto shouted while grinning goofily. I laughed and rolled my eyes, snapping back to reality.

Had I really been thinking for that long?

"You couldn't even beat me if I was asleep." I mocked. He only chuckled, like the good sport he was.

"We'll see about that."

I glared at my TV intently. As if I'd even allow him _any _chances of winning.

You see, Naruto had only just taught me how to play Call of Duty like…a few months ago. When we were still going out. At first, I was really bad. Naruto would always tease me that I was the worst player in history.

Then, miraculously, I began getting the hang of it. And then out of nowhere, I became some sort of COD prodigy. It was crazy, I know. But seriously, I got to Prestige mode on Black Ops in like, a week. I was sick. And there was no way in Hell that I was going to let him win.

That didn't stop him from trying to beat me, of course.

Psh, it won't ever happen.

The screen flashed brightly.

_KO. Player One wins._

I grinned devilishly in triumph, sticking my tongue out at Naruto in the process.

Yeah, Karma is such a bitch.

Naruto sighed, and flung the controller onto the bed in frustration. I paused the game and fell back against my bed, allowing my head to plop against the pillow.

"I'm bored." I complained, sighing dramatically. Naruto looked down at me with that adorable puppy dog grin of his.

I don't think I'll ever get over that. I smiled bitterly and grabbed his hand.

"Oh, Naruto…" I murmured apologetically.

His smile instantly vanished.

"You seriously better not be about to say what I think you're gunna say…" he threatened.

I laughed without any humor. He knew me too well. After all, he was my best friend. Besides Sasuke and Ino-pig, of course.

"I won't forgive myself until you're happy." I admitted quietly. I pulled him towards me and squeezed his hand.

"I _am_ happy." He assured me, squeezing my hand back. But I was already shaking my head before he could finish his sentence.

"You know what I mean." I sat up, in earnest. I might as well tell him about my plan. "What do you think about Hinata?" I asked innocently.

He smiled and scratched the back of his head, deep in thought. "I don't, really. She always faints when she's around me." he smiled fondly.

I let out a soft giggle. How cute. "She's very shy. But once she opens up to you, she's great. I promise."

I poked his shoulder playfully. "You should give her a shot." I encouraged.

He paused, considering this.

They'd be so cute together, I just know it. And once Naruto and Hinata are together, I won't feel so bad. I'll know he has someone to take care of him when I'm not around.

"For me?" I pressed, leaning forward slightly.

Naruto chuckled. I knew he had given up. "Alright." He agreed. I smiled and pecked his cheek.

"Excellent!"

Oh, I had a plan formulating in my mind before I could stop myself.

This was going to be absolutely perfect.

Naruto picked up his forgotten controller and stood up. He turned to face me, giving me a lopsided smile. "Now let's finish this game so I can kick your ass."

I giggled and nodded, taking my controller and un pausing the game.

Looking over at him, I smiled softly.

He was going to be just fine.

* * *

_I wanna heal,_

_I wanna feel what I thought was never real._

_I wanna let go of the pain I've felt so long,_

_Erase all the pain 'til it's gone._

* * *

I desperately gripped the pen tightly in my hand. Why in the hell can't I concentrate? I studied all freaking week for this dame test. And now I couldn't even remember one thing. This was the marking period exam, damnit. I'd already gotten a 72 on my last test. I definitely couldn't afford another low grade.

All this crap looked like gibberish to me.

_Solve for x. _

…

_Log__2__x__4__+log__2__5= e __0.09_

What.

The.

Hell.

Why in the world is a _log _on my test? And what does it have to do with precalc?

What does that even _mean? _

I took a deep breath to prevent myself from hyperventilating and passing out on the floor.

I couldn't just leave the question blank. That was like, a guaranteed minus ten points. I sighed, attempting to solve the equation.

The bell rung a mere two minutes later. Had forty minutes really passed by that quickly? I stood quickly and shoved my test onto the desk. Grabbing my purse, I left the classroom as quickly as I could without looking back.

If I had, I just might have ripped my test into a million pieces.

This was going to be a long forth marking period.

* * *

_And I've got nothing to say,_

_I can't believe I didn't fall right down on my face. _

_I was confused._

_Looking everywhere only to find,_

_that it's not the way I had imagined it all in my mind._

* * *

Seeing Sasuke at his old house became quite the regular occurrence. We had specific days pre-planned out when we'd meet up.

Today being Wednesday, was one of those days.

"Hey, you." I greeted warmly, watching as Sasuke walked in carefully through the front door. He smiled warmly, making my heart flutter unceremoniously.

"Hi. You know, it's becoming increasingly difficult to sneak out so often. She's getting pretty suspicious."

My heart clenched and swelled at his words. He was risking a lot by coming to see me, and obviously he deemed the risk worth it. Unable to wait for him to walk over to me, I ran up to him as he shut the door and wrapped my arms around his neck. I buried my face in his neck, inhaling his musky scent.

"Glad to know I'm worth it." I murmured, contented.

He slid his arms around my waist naturally, pulling my body flush against his. I reveled in the moment of sweet bliss as I felt his lips brush against the shell of my ear.

"You're always worth it."

I felt strange tingles run up my spine as I shivered delightfully. Oh, the things he did to me. Pulling away, I noticed that his bangs hung over his eyes slightly. I ruffled his hair playfully and grinned.

"You really need a haircut." I teased, pulling on a lock of his soft hair and tugging gently. He feigned anger and swat my hand away.

"No I don't."

I smiled, figuring it was best to drop the subject. As soon as I got another good look at his face – however – I noticed the bruises and cuts had worsened. I frowned, displeased.

"What's going on with you? You look worse and worse every time I see you." My finger traced his cheek lightly over a healing scab on his chin. I leaned on my tippy toes and kissed it. I sighed softly, closing my eyes.

"She needs to stop this, you know. It's really getting out of control."

"What's out of control?"

My eyes widened as I whipped my head in the direction of the voice. I felt Sasuke pull away from me as he gasped quietly. It was Ami. How the hell did she know he was here? Did she follow him? Her tiny head tilted to the side, half curiously, half annoyed. My jaw almost dropped at the sight of her. I could feel my pulse racing and my heartbeat quicken.

She caught us, she caught us.

Shit.

**Shit.**

_**Shit.**_

She then turned to face Sasuke – who was now a good yard or so away from me. "Sasuke-kun," she cooed, faking innocence, "who's that girl?"

If I wasn't in complete shock at the moment, I would have registered the fact that she turned to glare at me viciously.

But my mind was caught up on something else entirely.

She just called him _Sasuke-kun._

And he _let _her.

What the hell?

I opened my mouth to speak, but soon discovered that I was unable to formulate words. My throat constricted, and my knees felt weak.

"She was my previous owner." I heard Sasuke whisper, fear evident in his voice. I couldn't turn to look at him.

My eyes were glued to Ami.

She continued to stare back at me, quite unwelcoming. Just like Karin used to look at me. Was I always going to be the outcast? The thing that didn't belong?

"She didn't…forget?" Ami pressed, her eyes widening slightly. Her tone was accusatory. I almost flinched. How could a fourteen year old girl be so damned intimidating to me? And how the hell did she know so much already? She hadn't even been Sasuke's owner for a few months and already she knew about losing memory.

Ah, that's right. My mind flashed in remembrance. She made Sasuke show her the Rule Book. Dimly I wondered if he'd let me see it _all _now that I wasn't his owner anymore. Something made me think that he wouldn't, even still.

Sasuke shook his head slowly, cautiously. "She remembered me." he answered simply. His voice seemed robotic.

I hated that he was telling her the truth. I didn't want her to know about me. About our past. It wasn't any of her damned business. She didn't need to know this much.

Ami walked up to me, full of disgust. As she neared me, I realized how much shorter than me she was. She wasn't nearly as intimidating up close. She stood on her toes, trying to gain height and glared at me.

"He's _mine." _She threatened, her voice low.

I almost wanted to laugh. As if!

"Hime – " Sasuke began to protest. Aishteru

"Shut _up!_" Ami screeched, turning to face Sasuke. I'd never seen a girl so furious looking before in my entire life. I swallowed. She stalked towards him, her footsteps heavy and deliberate. Without any warning, her hand came up in the air, only to swiftly fall, connecting with his cheek.

_Slap!_

I gasped, my eyes shutting tightly. I remembered my own hand connecting with his face when I had scratched him. The image replayed over and over in my mind, him reliving this pain a thousand times until I snapped. My eyes shot open, and before I could stop myself I was running up to her, grabbing her hands desperately. My hands formed an iron grip around her wrist, preventing her from moving.

"Stop it, stop it!" I begged, tears in my eyes. "You're hurting him, can't you see?"

She elbowed me in the ribs, almost causing me to loosen my grip, but I restrained myself. Instead, I held on tightly, refusing to let go. "That's the point! Get off of me!"

I glanced at Sasuke, who seemed to be frozen in place.

Ami struggled in my grip. Honestly, I wasn't so sure that I couldn't stand any more of this little brat. She needed a dose of her own medicine. She needed to get off her high horse. She needed to learn a lesson. I had to do something. I couldn't just let this go on, I had to –

"Ouch!"

I pinched her. Hard.

Sasuke unfroze. He blinked and then furrowed his eyebrows, confused and shocked. "Sakura?"

Ami squirmed and wiggled violently, now and it was getting harder and harder to restrain her. Tears leaked freely out of her eyes as she whined and cried.

"She needs to learn her lesson." I proclaimed to Sasuke, my own eyes watering. I didn't like the fact that I just hurt her, but I needed to get my point across. How would she ever understand what she was doing to him? How would she ever know that it was wrong?

Sasuke seemed upset by my actions. I knew that he disapproved. Obviously, he would. He wasn't supposed to want his owner to be hurt. He was supposed to protect her. "Look what she's doing to you, Sasuke! You're falling apart!" my voice broke on the last word, my throat closing off.

Sasuke swallowed and closed his eyes. "Sakura, let go of her." He commanded softly.

I bit my lip. Was this how Karin had felt before? So disconnected from him. Like I was the one that didn't belong? Hesitantly, I loosened my grip on Ami, but she didn't move away like I expected her to.

When had she stopped struggling? I hadn't even noticed.

Dimly, I heard her sniffling. I bent my head to see hers bowed down. She was crying? For Kami's sake, I hadn't even pinched her that hard. All I did was –

"That's…that's how Sasuke feels…when I hurt him? It…" hiccup, "hurts him a lot worse than that, right?"

I blinked in disbelief. For a few moments, I forgot that she had asked me a question. "Yes, it hurts him a lot when you do things like that." I murmured finally. I sneaked a peek at Sasuke. His gaze was transfixed entirely on Ami. I could tell he was thinking the exact same thing as me: that's all it took?

Ami looked up at me with glassy eyes. Awkward to having someone else cry in front of me, I tried to stroke her hair softly.

"It's okay." I soothed. Abruptly – and unexpectedly – she turned and wrapped her arms around me, burying her face in my stomach to let out a loud wail. I felt her tears drenching my shirt, but I made no effort to push her away.

My hand rubbed her back as I looked at Sasuke expectantly.

His facial features were contorted in half confusion, half pain. But not pain for himself. Pain for _her._

"I don't want to hurt him anymore…" she cried, voice muffled by my shirt.

"You don't have to." I cooed, continuing my ministrations.

After a few minutes, her cries died down to an occasional whimper. Finally, she sniffled one last time before pulling away. Needless to say, my shirt was drenched.

"Don't you think you should tell Sasuke something?" I urged, hoping I wasn't pushing the envelope. If she apologized, perhaps things would be alright. Her being his owner didn't have to be a terrible thing. I wiped a stray tear off of her cheek comfortingly.

She turned slowly to face Sasuke, her lips pouting. She looked down, unable to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun."

He shook his head. "You don't have to be."

I knew he was thinking that it was her right to be able to hit him, and if she hadn't barged in on us, he probably would have told me the same thing. But I couldn't stand that. I wouldn't. He looked at her with tender affection, and I wondered if he'd forgive anyone so easily.

He reached out his hand to brush a wispy strand of her hair back behind her ear.

For a moment, I couldn't help but think that Sasuke would make an excellent father one day. I made myself blush.

"Thank you, though." He choked, smiling softly.

I closed my eyes, content.

Maybe Sasuke wouldn't have to suffer anymore.

Maybe, just maybe, he could finally focus on himself. And be happy.

* * *

_What do I have but negativity,_

_Cause I can't justify the way everyone is looking at me._

_nothing to lose,_

_Nothing to gain. Hollow and alone,_

_and the fault is my own._

* * *

"What's that?" Ami asked curiously, pointing to the object in my hand.

I smiled and waved it around a bit. "It's eyeliner. Don't you worry, I'm gunna put some on you." I smiled. "Alright, now hold still so I don't poke your eye." Ami complied, staring up at the ceiling patiently.

You see, Ami had asked why my face "looked so pretty". I told her that I had makeup on. And thus, a makeover ensued. I was surprised that as a fourteen year old, Ami had no idea what makeup was. Maybe it didn't exist here? As a matter of fact, I don't remember ever seeing Karin wearing any…

Sasuke sat quietly on his old bed to the side as I stood above Ami, dolling her up. Every now and then I'd glance over at him and smile reassuringly. I think he was still in disbelief with all that went on. Truth is, so am I.

"Can I see it yet?" she asked excitedly.

I smiled. "Not yet. Almost."

Finishing her off, I applied some pink lip gloss and a quick coat of mascara. "Alright, you can look now." Ami smiled brightly and hopped off the chair to run over to the mirror.

"Wow…" she whispered, in awe of her own appearance.

I had to hold back a giggle at her mesmerized expression. I walked over to her and placed the makeup in her hand. "Here, you can have it." I offered. I had plenty back home. She grinned and hugged it to her chest.

"Thank you, onee-chan." She flashed her teeth at me and smiled, giving me a quick hug. It was hard for me to believe that only an hour ago, she was screaming threats at me. She seemed like a completely different person now. Maybe all she needed was a little guidance.

Ami turned to address Sasuke. "I'm going to go back home now and show mommy. Come back soon, okay?" she ran up to Sasuke, pecking his cheek. I could tell he was surprised at the affectionate gesture, but he pat her head and smiled anyway, whispering an "okay".

"Bye!" she waved as she skipped out of the room.

"Bye." I echoed softly.

Once the front door closed behind her, I exhaled a breath I didn't know I had held. I felt myself lean against the nearby wall. I looked at Sasuke with a weary smile. He stood from his position on the bed and walked towards me deliberately, his gaze never wavering.

"Wow." I breathed, exhausted from the encounter. I was in complete disbelief. Sasuke pulled me to him, resting his forehead on my shoulder.

"You're amazing, you know that?" he mumbled. In response, I tangled my fingers in his hair, pulling him close. "Thank you."

I kissed his cheek. "How are you feeling?" I questioned, my voice low. I rubbed his cheek soothingly.

"Fine," he answered, "just fine." I felt his lips brushing against my skin and I giggled at the ticklish sensation.

"Hey…that tickles."

I felt him smirk.

He pulled away and I walked over to the bed, plopping down on it.

"I miss this…" I admitted, smoothing my hands across the mattress.

"Yeah…" he agreed, following me to the bed. As he sat down, I felt his weight lean towards me.

After a moment of silence, a thought persisted in my mind. "Hey Sasuke?"

He looked at me lazily. I couldn't meet his gaze if I wanted to ask this. "You have the Sharingan right?"

He swallowed audibly. "Yeah."

"Same as Madara's." I stated.

"No, not really. Madara has Mangekyo. I don't."

"No?" I asked, leaning towards him. My voice raised an octave in curiosity.

"No. Mangekyo is only obtained through…special measures." His eyes glazed over suddenly. I leaned over him completely now, causing his back to hit the mattress. I propped my elbow up against his chest, resting my face in my hands.

"And how's that?" I pressed, eager to learn whatever I could.

He paused, taking a few moments to gather his words. "By killing the person closest to you." He finally responded.

My hand flew to my mouth in horror. Madara killed…his closest friend? Was that why he always acted so cold? Did he kill…?

"He killed the human he was in love with." I gasped in realization. I always knew that she had died…but by his own hand?

Sasuke closed his eyes, obviously not happy with the subject at hand. "Them being together was too big of a liability. Especially after the two of them bonded."

Right, because after they bonded, he lost his wings. I wondered how he had gotten them back.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I attempted to prevent tears from falling.

"That's…horrible." I quivered.

Sasuke's hand cupped my cheek, forcing my eyes open. With his other hand, he rubbed my arms soothingly. "Don't worry about that. It's not important."

I nodded. I couldn't allow myself to be worried by Madara and his problems. I had enough of my own to deal with. But that sure explained a lot. A wave of sorrow and pity washed through my body.

"Hey, look at me." Sasuke took my chin in his hand.

I smiled half-heartedly. "Okay, okay."

Then I remembered another thing.

"Ami calls you Sasuke-kun."

He sighed and nodded. "She said that since she's my owner, she can call me whatever she wants."

I looked past him. "Oh…" Why hadn't I ever thought of something like that? Because I respected his wishes too much.

"I wish…I wish that I was your owner still." I remembered all the fun times we'd had together. And while Karin wasn't in the picture (at the moment, Kami only knows what happened to her) Ami now was. It seemed like there was always going to be something that would hold us back.

Sasuke smirked – which I'll admit I was a little surprised at. "No, you don't." he corrected smugly.

I blinked. "I don't?"

He shook his head softly. "No. Because if you were still my owner…" Sasuke lifted his head and leaned closer to me, his breath fanning across my lips. My breath hitched. "…then I couldn't be able to do this." That was the last thing I heard before I felt his lips press against mine.

I honestly could live my entire life kissing Sasuke without any complaints. The feel of his lips moving against mine was like a drug. I licked his lower lip and he opened his mouth. I felt his tongue caress mine and I sighed into the kiss. Sasuke's hand came to rest at the nape of my neck, exerting a soft pressure. His fingers trailed across my skin, running along my collarbone. He paused.

I felt him pull away.

"You still have it?" he asked breathlessly.

He'd felt my necklace. The one he'd given me for my birthday so long ago.

I giggled and touched my finger to his lips. "Of course silly, I love it." He smiled and kissed the finger that pressed against his lips. I moved my finger to his cheek where an old wound was scabbing over.

I knew that I wouldn't have to worry about seeing any new ones, but I didn't like having to see the old injuries either.

My eyebrows knotted together in frustration.

I frowned, allowing my finger to lightly trace over the wound as I mentally willed the cut away. I concentrated hard, mentally banishing it. Sasuke's face didn't need to be all marked up like this. I just wanted to feel the smooth perfection of his skin once again. I wanted him to be free of the pain, once and for all.

I wanted it to be all gone.

Just heal, damnit.

Go away.

Away.

Away!

I gasped.

My eyes widened drastically at my finger, which was now emitting a strange green hue. It was as if my finger was glowing green, like I was ET or something.

Sasuke's eyes suddenly widened too, pulling my hand swiftly away and staring at it in the same shock I was experiencing.

I blinked in shock and horror.

I had just healed Sasuke's cheek.

* * *

**A/N - dun dun dun. Plot twist? Yeah ehh. Sorry for the delay. My laptop screen is cracked (boo). But this chapter's longer than usual (yay).**

**review?**


	16. Angel

**disclaimer - don't own.**

**a/n - thank you guys for all of your wonderful reviews (: **

* * *

Fallen Feathers

* * *

**.::Chapter Sixteen – Angel::.**

_I'm alone, _

_I don't know if I can face the night._

_I'm in tears and the cryin' that I do,_

_is for you._

* * *

So it took me a fully, like five minutes to recover from what happened. Seriously, I was freaking out. Not only did I first think that I was related to ET or something, but then I proceeded to think that I was – miraculously - no longer human. Which – upon staring at my back to check for wings – proved wrong. I was still human.

But for some strange reason, I had the capability of healing.

Then I thought, wait why am I freaking out? This has got to be like, Kami's greatest gift or something. This is something freaking Jesus himself did. And I'm doing it.

But still, I was terrified.

And I had a feeling that Sasuke was too. He stared at me in a mixture of both shock and horror. Then, after composing himself, he wiped the tears that had unknowingly slid down my cheeks.

Hesitantly, I lifted my finger to another wound on his cheek and experimentally tried healing it again. I thought the same thing as before, mentally willing the wound away. Envisioning his pristine porcelain skin once again. I watched as my fingers slowly glowed green, and the scab ebbing itself away.

This time, Sasuke's hand pressed against mine, holding it against his cheek.

He closed his eyes, remaining silent.

"What does this mean?" I finally asked after a few moments of processing.

He shook his head slightly. "I don't know, I've never seen this before." He admitted softly.

I occupied myself with making his face perfect again. Once I was finished, I smiled, kissing his nose.

"It's just like your feathers…" I murmured fondly. Oh, how I'd always wished I could repay him for all he'd done for me. Maybe now, I could start.

He nodded and pressed his lips to mine, allowing one final kiss.

"I should get going." He reminded me. Oh yes, Ami was waiting. Suddenly, I wasn't so mad about that anymore. I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. I'll see you later." He nodded, kissing me again before leaving.

I stayed in his world for a bit. I didn't like the fact that I only came here for Sasuke. When in reality, I could be meeting people, and exploring this wondrous world. In all the time I'd been here, I've only seen where Sasuke lives, and the surrounding area. Perhaps he was too scared to take me too far out, because it could get dangerous. But I was old enough to handle myself now, not to mention that I could poof myself home whenever I wanted.

I was in full control of my powers now (or at least I hoped) and I'd be able to explore the world for a bit.

At least, that's what I thought.

It wasn't even a full ten minutes of exploration before I came across _her._

She was near his old house, sitting underneath a large tree. She didn't seem like she was about to move any time soon, but I noticed her bright red hair from anywhere. Once she heard my footsteps approaching, she lifted her head from her knees and looked at me. Her gaze was unfocused at first, and she seemed out of it.

"Karin?" I asked hesitantly. I didn't know if we were under good terms or not, since that little stunt I pulled after leaving Sasuke.

Once I came close enough, I saw that past her thick black glasses, there were tears.

She was crying?

"Why?" was all she said. Her voice was weak, and she didn't look me in the eye, but the intensity of her words were there nonetheless.

I was affronted. How was I supposed to respond to a question like that?

"Excuse me?" I asked softly, for clarification.

"Why did you have to ruin everything?" she elaborated, wiping her cheeks dry. My mouth hung open slightly as I waited for my brain to formulate a reply, but none came. I didn't understand how I was the one that ruined anything, when _she _was the one thought distanced Sasuke from me to begin with.

Thankfully, she wasn't really interested in waiting for me to reply, because she continued on. "Everything was finally falling into place…and then you just…" she shook her head violently as fresh tears emerged.

I scrunched my brows angrily. How could she even have the audacity to say these things?

"What the hell are you talking about?" I retorted, quite infuriated. Man, she really brought out the worst in me. And here I thought we'd called a truce. It's not like it was my fault Sasuke loved me and not her.

"Try putting yourself in my shoes! I was the only one that knew Sasuke since he was little, and then some angel prances around and in two weeks thinks she's won his heart! It doesn't work like that, Karin. You don't know the first thing about him, and you never will." I huffed, realizing that I was breathing heavily from being so worked up.

Karin glared past me, not meeting my eyes. "You two can't be together." She muttered. "It's not _allowed." _

"As if they'd even let two angels be together. You see how they treat you guys. They don't want anyone – even angels themselves – with other angels. They want to make you guys suffer in any way they can. And being that Madara is related to Sasuke, he surely would have made sure Sasuke wasn't with you. Even if you did help him get rid of me, it was only a matter of time before he turned against you too."

Karin was picking at the grass, pulling them from the roots. "It's not fair."

I wanted to laugh. She was being just as childish as I was. "That's what I kept telling myself every time I saw you with him. I didn't want him to live the rest of his life with you, but I was going to let him. There was nothing I could have done, really. He knew from the start that I'd have to leave." I smiled bitterly.

For the first time, Karin met my gaze. Her tears were gone, and she looked more serious and calm than I'd ever seen her before. "And yet, you're still here." She pointed out.

I nodded. "You don't think I'd give up that easy, do you?"

She cracked a small smile. "No, not quite. But I'd hoped."

There was a moment of silence, and in that silence the two of us connected. Just like when I was crying, pleading for Karin to run in and save Sasuke when Madara was coming. It was déjà vu. But this time, Karin knew she'd have to give him up. Not me.

"After you left, he became miserable. He was trying to hide his feelings around you, trying to act like he wouldn't be that affected. He tried to be strong, for your sake. But the moment you left, he crumbled."

She took a deep breath, slowly. "At that point, I knew I was too late to change his mind about you. I thought I could make him love me. That time would allow him to forget you. But that simply wasn't the case. That's why I left."

I kneeled down in front of Karin, my face equally as serious as hers.

"Thank you."

* * *

_You're my angel,_

_come and save me tonight._

_You're my angel,_

_come and make it alright._

* * *

I sat down in my computer chair, thinking things over. My conversation with Karin surprised me, and I think that we've finally come to terms with each other. I hate to admit that I'm just glad I have Sasuke.

I was waiting for my mom to come home. I really wanted to ask her if she knew anything about healing. That maybe she had been able to do the same. Plus, it was great having someone to talk to about this stuff. Someone with firsthand experience.

I wonder what she thought when I first showed her Sasuke. She probably hoped I wouldn't fall into the same turmoil of mistakes that she had. Too late for that now.

I leaned back in my chair, looking up at the ceiling.

What would happen now? Where would Sasuke and I go from here?

Were we just doomed to continue the same cycle we've been doing for ten years? Or would he become human for me? I needed answers, but I was too scared to ask him these things outright.

Mostly, I was just afraid of what his answers would be.

I heard a car pulling into the driveway, and I looked out of my window. Half expecting to see my mom, I was surprised when I saw my dad's dark blue Honda. I blinked.

Dad was home?

He hadn't been home in almost a month, due to a business trip. But everything's been so crazy with my life that I didn't really notice much.

I waited for my dad to open the front door before I ran out of my bedroom and dashed downstairs.

"Dad!" I called out, smiling happily.

But my father was on the phone, talking furiously. He held up a finger to me, signaling not to interrupt. My cheer instantly vanished. Well, pshh, forget him. It's not like I missed you either, dad.

Eh, whatever.

I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket and I hastily dug my fingers in my jeans to find it.

"Hello?" I asked without checking the caller ID.

"Forehead! It's been waaay too long. How are you?"

I smiled, walking back to my bedroom and plopping on the bed. I maneuvered the phone against my shoulder and took out some nail polish to paint my nails. Yeah, Ino made me do weird things like that. She was so girly that she influenced me.

"I'm good, everything's been the same. What about you?" I replied absently, putting on the first coat of red polish.

"I'm good, yeah yeah, we have time to catch up later. I just have to ask: can you or can you not come to the mall this instant?"

I checked my watch. My mom was due home, but I hadn't hung out with Ino in forever. "Sure, but I don't have a ride." As if my dad would drop his important phone call to drive me over.

"It's okay," she brushed off, "I'll come pick you up. Be ready in ten."

And then she hung up.

I smiled and shook my head, finishing the coat of nail polish.

Once my nails were dry, I gave myself a once over, making sure everything looked presentable. Then I went downstairs and wrote a note to my mom, saying I'd be back around 7. I'd talk to her then.

Right now, it was time for me to have some fun.

* * *

_Don't make it tough,_

_I put away my pride._

_Enough's enough,_

_I've suffered and I've seen the light._

* * *

So I really didn't plan on spending as much money as I did, but it's not like my mother cared. Besides, I rarely did these shopping splurges and I needed the new clothes. I smiled at the cute outfits I picked, wondering what Sasuke would think if he saw me wearing them.

Plus, as Ino pointed out to me, Prom was this month. The end of June – right after finals (which were this week). I had to get a dress ASAP if I wanted to go. So I settled on this simple white dress that Ino said made my boobs look nice, and made me look like I had a nice butt.

I wondered if Sasuke would have taken me to Prom if he was human.

I came home around 6:30, earlier than planned. This made my mother happy, so when she saw the receipts, she wasn't _that _angry.

I showed her the skirts and tees and shorts I got, having a mini fashion show in my house. My mother – thankfully – approved of everything. After I folded my clothes and put them away, I asked my mom if I could talk to her for a bit about _us. _She knew what that referred to.

We closed (and locked) my bedroom door, and sat down on my bed.

I took a deep breath.

"So something happened before with Sasuke. I'd never done it before…and I got really nervous and – "

"Sakura, did you bond with Sasuke?" my mother interrupted.

My face turned several shades of red. "No mom! Geez, I just…I mean, _no!_"

My mother smiled. "Oh, okay."

I cleared my throat. "_Anyway, _like I was saying. Sasuke's owner Ami hasn't been so kind to him, and his face is all bruised up. So before, I raised my hand to his cheek, touching one of his injuries and suddenly…it healed."

My mother eyebrows raised as she pondered this. "Wow, can't say I've heard of that before. I've never been able to do that. Definitely a new talent." She smiled approvingly. "Can you do it in both worlds, or only there?"

I shook my head. "I don't know yet, but I'm not going to cut myself to find out. I don't even know if the healing works on me or not yet."

My mother nodded in understanding. "Interesting…" she murmured.

"Yeah, I know. My whole hand started glowing green and everything. I was hoping you'd be able to tell me what that was all about." I admitted.

My mother gave me an apologetic smile. "Sorry, sweetie."

"It's okay, no biggie. If I find anything out, I'll let you know."

My mother rose from my bed and nodded. "Alright, you should relax for a bit." She kissed my forehead before leaving me to my thoughts.

"By the way," she said slyly, before leaving my room, "if you and Sasuke _do _decide to bond, just make sure you know what you're doing."

I plopped against my pillows, sighing heavily. My mother was right. We both had to be sure that it was the right thing to do. I wished I could go see Sasuke again, but I know too much of him wouldn't be good. I couldn't let Ami's newfound kindness be taken advantage of. For all I knew, she could have a horrible relapse, which would only affect Sasuke.

My eyes closed as the questions I had been thinking about earlier raced through my mind.

* * *

_I ran as fast as I could; terrified. It was dark everywhere, and I couldn't focus on a single thing, but I knew I had to run. Something in my mind told me to just run and escape as far away as I could. I didn't know where I was going or what I was doing, but I kept running._

_And before I knew it, I was falling. No longer running with stable feet, tut, tut, tut on the ground. I flt tingles surge up my spine as fear crept in my body. I shut my eyes tightly, letting out a scream that pierced my own ear drums._

"_Help! PLEASE Help me!" I wailed, still falling. Falling…_

_I heard the flapping of wings and I opened my eyes, seeing Sasuke flying towards me._

_Looking down, I noticed my feet were stable on the ground. I wasn't falling anymore. Blinking confusedly, I adjusted my eyes to the darkness, trying to see him better. _

_He looked at me with a grave expression, and his eyes began to change color. _

_They turned a crimson, blood red, with black swirling viciously in the center. I gasped, stepping away from him in fear._

"_S-Sasuke?" I gasped._

_He didn't respond, merely taking a step closer to me._

_Why did those eyes haunt me? Why did they look so familiar? I tried taking another step back, but to no avail. My feet were firmly planted to the ground; frozen. _

"_Sasuke, please help me!" I begged. He took another step closer to me, and I saw his face clearly reflected by the bright intensity of his crimson eyes. He smirked deviously at me before raising his arm. I glanced over quickly – fearful – and my eyes widened in horror._

"_No, Sasuke please!" _

_He had a knife. He was going to stab me! No, no, no._

_His hand raised higher as I heard a faint noise. It grew louder with each passing second, and with much trepidation I discovered it to be his laughter._

_Swiftly, his hand flew downwards._

* * *

I woke with a start, in a cold sweat. My head pounded.

I took deep even breaths, trying to calm myself down. Was that, just a dream? But it seemed so _real. _My fear felt real. Everything felt real. It was familiar, those eyes. Madara had them once. When he…

The Sharingan!

Then, what was my dream supposed to mean?

I looked at the clock.

4:24 AM.

Wow, I slept for a long time. It's alright, it was just a dream. I couldn't shake this anxious feeling I was having, though.

Laying back down, I tried calming myself. I really couldn't think about it. It wouldn't help me to dwell on the matter.

I tried really hard to pretend that it wasn't Sasuke whose Sharingan eyes I'd seen in my dream.

I sighed, sitting down. There were some questions that I seriously needed answers to.

* * *

_Yes, it's true. Loneliness took me for a ride,_

_without your love, I'm nothing but a begger,_

_a dog without a bone,_

_what can I do?_

_I'm sleeping in this bed alone._

* * *

"Sasuke, please understand that I'm just scared. We know the worst is yet to come. What are we really going to do, just wait around until they decide they have a good enough reason to capture us again? We could escape from here! Put it all in the past!"

Sasuke was lying down in the grass, with his arms behind his head.

It's hard for me to think that I'd ever forgotten about him. How could I have? He was so perfect…

I leaned over, tracing his chest with my finger. "We can do whatever we want, now." I whispered.

He shook his head. "I can't leave Ami."

I sighed, defeated. "Ami will be perfectly fine. She's been fine up until this point in her life without you. Besides, she'd want you to be happy."

"But not that the _Potenes _know about you, she'll be the first one they go to if I go missing. I don't want to drag her into that."

I pulled my finger away and faced opposite of him. "It's always going to be something, isn't it? When are you going to just let us be together? When are you going to think about your own happiness for once?"

Sasuke's brows furrowed when I sneaked a peek at him. "Sakura, I can't let her get hurt on my behalf.

I bit my lip, frustrated. "What do you plan on doing then? Waiting another ten years until she forgets you? Then will it be time to be with me completely? OR will you have an excuse then?"

He sat up, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Why are you acting like this? We're together _now, _isn't that enough?"

I turned to face him. "No, Sasuke, it's not. It's not enough when I want you to hold me in school, or take you to the movies or park, or introduce you to my dad and friends. It's not enough when I'm lonely and I know I can't come visit you. It's not enough knowing I won't ever be anything more to you than this. Our relationship will always be like this."

"This is more than we've ever been able to have." He murmured. I leaned closer, cupping his cheek.

"I know," I replied softly, "but I'm so selfish when it comes to you. I want all of you all the time."

His hand tilted my chin up so that he could kiss me softly. "It feels good to be able to do this."

I nodded, kissing him back. I smiled and pulled away, letting the tingles sink in. He never ceased to have this effect on me.

"Sasuke..would you…become human?"

He pushed my bangs out of my face so that he could kiss my forehead. "For you? Of course. For you, I'd do anything."

I giggled. "One day, we'll do all that stuff together, right? We'll prove them wrong."

"One day, we'll leave this place." He promised, sealing the deal with another kiss.

I was giddy just thinking about it.

Pulling away, I smiled shyly. He really wanted me forever? To keep me and be like we always were, so carefree? I exhaled in relief, a weight lifted from my shoulders.

"Hey one-chan!"

I turned my head to see Ami running up a hill excitedly. Luckily for us, she was still nice to Sasuke and hasn't hit him once since our talk. I smiled, happy to know she made such a huge progress. I accepted her hug as she ran up to me.

"Hey, there." I greeted.

"I've been waiting to talk to you forever! I have something to tell you." She rushed, blushing. I laughed at her excitedness.

"Alright, shoot."

She glanced nervously at Sasuke. "Go away for a bit." She shooed, pointing into the house. He raised an eyebrow at her, rather amused, and turned to walk into his old house.

I sat down with Ami, allowing her to collect her thoughts for a moment.

"So, I have something to tell you, but you can't freak." she began.

"Okay."

"SoithinkilikeSasuke."

I blinked. "What?"

She closed her eyes and slowed her voice. "I said…I think I like Sasuke."

I stared at her, unsure of how to reply. I opened my mouth, but she immediately stopped me. "I know that it's illegal and stuff and he's older than me but still, I dunno, he's just so cute and I just…"

I looked down, without an answer in mind. "Ami, you could get into a lot of trouble. That's a serious matter." I stated lowly, swallowing. "Trust me, it's not…worth it for a crush."

She looked torn. "But one-chan, it's not just a crush!" she protested.

I closed my eyes, wondering why everyone had to like _my _angel?

"Besides," she continued easily, without noticing my dilemma, "I think he likes me too."

* * *

**Review :D **


	17. When Two are One

**A/N - wow, that was waay too long of a wait. I'm sorry w Only a few chapters left though. **

**This fic is rated T, therefore I can not post any er, graphic scenes in this story. And for the sake of my readers, I won't change the rating. However, if you'd like to read the uncensored version of this chapter, read this chapter, then go to my profile and click "Fallen Feathers Chapter Seventeen Uncensored" (: Thank you!**

**Enjoy :3**

* * *

Fallen Feathers

* * *

**.:: Chapter Seventeen – When Two Are One ::.**

_A train has crashed the walls,_

_around my heart and left the old me dead._

_Obliterated._

_Stop, my breathing in the night when you're not there._

_All I want to do is hear your voice,_

_but you're not there._

* * *

Fate does not want Sasuke with me. Fate has decided – for the cruel intention of mere _amusement _– that it would like to watch me suffer. That it would pull its little strings, manipulating the carefully constructed world around us in any way possibly to prevent us being together.

I looked at Ami quite seriously, contemplating how crazy she'd think I was if I just started laughing hysterically. Because there has to be a breaking point for everyone, right? Did I tell her my relationship with Sasuke, or did I tell her that surely she must know of the consequences?

I took a deep breath, desperately searching for answers that I knew eluded me and would not come.

I decided to allow her to babble some more before I made my statement. "What makes you think he likes you too?" I asked sweetly, as to not hurt her feelings.

She smiled ear to ear. "Well, he's always kind to me, even though I used to hurt him. And, and…he does nice things for me." She blushed.

Perhaps – since she was still young – this was just puppy love. In which case, I had nothing to fear. It wasn't as if she was _in love _with Sasuke. Yes, she was much too young for that.

But then again, hadn't I been that young when I first knew I loved him?

"Ami, you cannot be with Sasuke. It would gravely endanger the both of you." I warned, seriously. She nodded, sighing heavily.

"I know, but they don't have to find out, right?"

I felt like a hypocrite, telling her exactly what not to do, even when I disobeyed these very laws.

"Trust me, they will always find out." I whispered lowly, my face grave. She seemed to notice the darkness my features held, for she suddenly burst into big fat tears, sobbing.

"B-but onee-chan!...It's not fair! Who are they to decide these things anyway?" her lower lip quivered, and I couldn't answer. I shrugged.

"I don't agree with it either, but I don't want you or Sasuke getting hurt over something like that. And I don't think he'd want to risk your well-being, either." I whispered, wiping away a few tears. She nodded, but I knew nothing I could say would consolidate her. And I didn't expect it to. I could only hope that I had intervened before it was too late, before her feelings developed too much.

"Plus," I added lightly, "don't you think Sasuke's a little too old for you?"

The blush I got in reply was all the answer I needed.

Her crush would fade with time, and I sighed in relief.

* * *

_Like the rising tide,_

_beating hearts grow but never die,_

_simplify._

_I'll stand by your side,_

_close my eyes,_

_Hope will never die._

* * *

"Mom, what happened with you and Deidara" I asked as we painted each other's nails. My father was at work, so we had the house to ourselves.

She smiled sadly.

"We were in love, like any teenagers. He was everything to me. I knew him since I was seven too, when my powers awakened. I never knew they'd be passed on to you. It makes me wonder if my mother went through the same thing."

I nodded. Grandma could've had an angel too. Was it grandpa maybe?

My mother continued. "We were stupid, and were careless. We weren't careful in hiding our feelings, and the _Potenes _found out rather quickly." She closed her eyes, her voice becoming shaky.

"When they found out…they ripped Deidara's wings off right in front of me." she paused, unable to speak.

I looked down, imagining what I would have done if they did that to Sasuke.

I would have died.

"If I didn't know how to transport out of there….I wouldn't even know what they would have done to me."

I placed my hand over my mother's. "You never went back to check on him?"

My mother shook her head and smiled sadly. "I was always too scared to face him. I wondered if he'd blame me for the whole thing. I couldn't face that."

A lone tear slid down her cheek and she wiped it away quickly.

"I don't want you and Sasuke to end up like that. You two have to fight, no matter what."

I nodded.

"Promise me that, Sakura."

She looked at me earnestly, and I swallowed, my own tears spilling from my eyes.

I closed my eyes.

"I promise mom."

* * *

_Take away the pain of being me,_

_soothe my soul,_

_caress my heart and_

_end my fear all my bad memories._

_eradicated._

* * *

Sasuke glanced at me, noticing my unusual silence.

He scooted closer to me, but I barely moved. His head leaned close and he brought his lips to my ear, swiping aside my hair as he murmured,

"What's wrong?" I felt his breath, hot against the shell of my ear, and I shivered noticeably. I felt his lips form a smirk at my reaction, but I closed my eyes and pretended he didn't just shoot electricity up my spine.

"Why is it that every girl you come in contact with is attracted to you?" I puffed, my lips forming a pout. Sasuke laughed breathlessly, pulling away.

"What do you mean?"

I rolled my eyes. "C'mon, you haven't noticed? Ami-chan is practically _in love with you._" I poked his chest for emphasis. Or something like that.

He arched an eyebrow in disbelief. "Really now?" but he seemed rather amused at me being put off by this fact.

I sighed and let my head fall back against the bed.

"Yes, Sasuke." I stated in a reprimanding tone.

I just wanted to get all of this over with.

Get rid of the _Potenes_, get rid of Karin, and get rid of Ami.

I wanted him all to myself.

I most certainly was not going to end up like my mother had with Deidara. No freaking way.

My body turned to face his and I stroked his cheek.

"I mean, I get that they're attracted to you." My eyes trailed over his naked chest. "I mean, you _are _pretty hot." I smiled, my fingers moving to trace circles on his chest. "But don't they know only I'm willing to go through all this trouble for you?" I smiled as he leaned forward and gave me a soft kiss.

"Sure they do. They don't care."

I breathed softly, "but I do."

Sasuke rolled so that he was straddling my hips, arms propped up. "Don't even worry about them. I'm yours, remember?"

I nodded, looping my arms around his neck and pulling him close to me. "Yes, yes you are." I agreed, sealing my lips with his.

His kisses grew desperate and needy, and my body strained to be closer to his.

The need for air was making my head grow dizzy, but I didn't care much. I was too preoccupied to even care. His hands started roaming underneath my shirt, which although I didn't mind one bit, was quite unusual for him.

"Sas…uke…" I breathed heavily, panting. That seemed to fuel his hunger, making his touches more rough and demanding. I gasped when his hand clamped over my breast and squeezed. His lips parted with mine, allowing for much needed air, but they immediately trailed down my neck, sucking my collarbone.

"I'm going to show you why I'm yours." He declared with a mischievous smirk on his face.

My fingers entangled in his hair and rubbed affectionate circles along his scalp. "What do you mean?" I murmured, eyes glazing over in lust.

Then he came up to my face again, giving me a soft kiss. "We're going to bond. Now."

My eyes widened and I jumped up, causing him to knock backwards. "What?"

He tilted his head. "Isn't this what you wanted?"

I nodded vigorously. "Well sure it is. But…why now? I thought you wanted to wait…"

"No." Sasuke shook his head softly. "No more waiting."

I leaned closer to him, "Why, what happened?"

He closed his eyes.

* * *

_Like gunshots heard against a silent night._

_My love is louder than these words,_

_they're stronger than the rest,_

_unstoppable._

* * *

_Sasuke walked down the hallway, Madara following closely behind._

"_I hope you know that she knows about the Sharingan." Madara declared rather triumphantly._

_Sasuke grit his teeth. "I know that." He spun on his heels and lashed out, "And why was it necessary to tell her? It'll only cause more problems for her and you know that!"_

_Madara laughed._

"_Of course I know that you stupid boy. You think I want her around? She's destroying you."_

_Sasuke glared at Madara vehemently. "What would you know? You've never been there for me! She has!"_

_Madara stepped closer to Sasuke, his voice low but serious. "There is no reason for me to be there for you."_

_Sasuke looked down, refusing to meet Madara's gaze. "I don't have to listen to you."_

_He shrugged, then smiled. "You're right, you don't. But you know what will happen if you choose to disobey me."_

"_I don't believe you." Sasuke seethed._

"_Do what you want."_

"_If you so much as lay a hand on –"_

"_We would never touch Ami. She's human. She's far too valuable."_

_Sasuke scoffed. "Of course. And what if I was human?"_

_Madara's gaze leveled. "Then we'd have to treat you with respect as well. But not if you became human illegally."_

_Sasuke clenched his fists. _

"_My dear boy, what's stopping you from running away and having a – what's it called? – happily ever after?"_

_Sasuke's voice was low. "You know very well that you're the one who's stopping me."_

_Madara laughed. "That's right!"_

_Sasuke spun on his heels, resolute in his decision._

"_And where are you going?" Madara taunted._

"_To get my happily ever after."_

_Madara smiled deviously behind Sasuke's back, murmuring, "That's right. Fall right into the trap."_

* * *

_Drawn together, _

_painter's brush stroke._

_Slight of hand we, _

_won't go up in smoke._

_Fates colliding,_

_Love undying._

* * *

"You talked with Madara?"

Sasuke nodded.

"I told him that I didn't care what he thought. I wasn't going to end up alone like him. I'm going to fight for what I believe in."

I smiled, overcome with joy. "But Ami – "

" – Will get assigned a new angel as soon as I'm gone. They won't hurt her because she's human."

I pressed my forehead to his.

"Do you really want to do this, Sasuke?"

He nodded. "Call me Sasuke-kun."

* * *

**A/N - Hope you enjoyed. Remember, mthe continued (uncensored) version of the ending of this chapter is posted on my profile in a seperate M rated fic. Please review that too :D **


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